Beauty's Rival
by auroraborealus
Summary: Kane and A.J. have been married for three years and their life together has been very happy expect for A.J. not yet being able to conceive a much wanted child. But will their love survive when Kane's past comes back to haunt him and his old sins threaten to tear them apart? Sequel to When Beauty Tempts the Beast. A.J./Kane
1. Chapter 1

**This is a sequel to my other fanfic "When Beauty Tempts the Beast". If you have not read that one, please read it first or some parts of this story may not make sense. Reviews, critiques, and suggestions are always welcome and ****very**** appreciated!**

**Chapter One**

PARTS UNKNOWN

_Yellow diamonds in the light_

_And we're standing side by side_

_As your shadow crosses mine_

_What it takes to come alive_

_It's the way I'm feeling I just can't deny_

_But I've gotta let it go_

_We found love in a hopeless place_

_We found love in a hopeless place_

_We found love in a hopeless place_

_We found love in a hopeless place_

Black roses.

They were the first thing she saw when she opened her eyes, three perfect roses, petals of black velvet in a slim crystal vase on her nightstand.

A.J. smiled, leaned over to breathe in their perfume and stroke their silky softness over her cheek. Never let it be said Kane was not a sentimental man. He always remembered.

The other side of the bed was empty as it almost always was when she woke. No matter how early she got up in the morning he was up before her. He was inhuman in the way he seemed to function on almost no sleep.

She rose, slipped on a black robe and quickly ran a brush through her silky brown hair before going to look for her husband.

She found Kane in the study, looking moodily out of the French doors toward the woods that practically came up to their back yard. As always he looked out of place in the prim and proper room. He made everything look small. His seven foot frame dwarfed the delicate furniture and he had to duck to keep from smashing his head when he walked through the doors.

She slipped her arms around him from behind and leaned into him, laying her cheek against his back. She loved how strong and solid he felt.

"Happy anniversary. Thank you for the beautiful roses." She said.

Kane turned, flipping his dark hair out of his face. His mismatched eyes met hers and his lips twitched in what, for him, passed for a smile.

A.J. however, frowned as she looked up at her husband, "Why are you wearing that thing?" she asked, "You know how much I hate looking at it."

Kane touched the mask with his fingers. He knew she hated it but he didn't know how to explain to her there were times that he needed it. He'd worn the mask for so long that it was a part of him, he felt naked, vulnerable without it.

"I'm sorry," he said, "I still forget sometimes."

She reached up and put her fingers over his, "Kane, you never have to hide anything from me. I love you."

He closed his eyes, steeling himself not to flinch as she pushed the mask up off of his face. He opened his eyes to see her looking up at him, eyes shining as she smiled. Even after three years he still marveled that she could look at him without revulsion. It was a thing he couldn't do, even after a lifetime of living with his own ruined face.

"Better," she said happily, tossing the mask over her shoulder.

He brushed a tendril of hair back from her face, just as an excuse to touch her. There were days when he still didn't understand how this beautiful woman loved him. Her smile widened as a sparkle glinted in her eye.

"Do you remember our first kiss?" she asked mischievously.

This time he did smile. How could he ever forget? He had never been so shocked in his life as when this tiny slip of a woman jumped into his arms, kissed him and changed everything he thought he knew.

A.J. definitely remembered as well as she laced her fingers behind his neck and hopped up nimbly, wrapping her legs around him. He caught her easily and unlike the first time, when she kissed him he kissed her back.

She finally broke off the kiss, leaned back a little to look at him, "You haven't asked me what your anniversary present is." She teased.

He looked at her, puzzled. He never expected anything from her. "What is it?" he finally asked.

"The same thing as last year….and the year before that." She replied with an arch look.

She giggled and threw her arms around his neck as he turned, ducked through the doorway and carried her off to the bedroom.

* * *

It was a beautiful day for a picnic. Kane would never have noticed the weather one way or the other before but since being with A.J. he was more sensitive to the beauty in the world. Beauty pleased A.J. and there was nothing he liked more than to see her happy.

The last three years had been very happy ones. Their decision to leave their old lives behind had been the best they'd ever made. Neither of them had spoken about the WWE or what had happened there in a long time. Kane woke every morning, before dawn and watched her sleep, his eyes drinking in the delicate lines of her face. When she smiled, dreaming in her sleep, he wondered if it was his face she was dreaming of.

Three years and there was only one thing to mar their happiness.

Three years and her stomach had stayed slim and the other bedrooms in the house empty. In the first year of their marriage she had talked about it often and though he never really said much he enjoyed hearing her chatter about a baby. In fact, he almost looked forward to it as much as she did. The idea intrigued him, a child, his and A.J.'s child. What would such a child be like?

As the one year became two and then three, she gradually talked less and less about babies until now she hardly ever mentioned them at all. But he knew she still thought about it. He'd seen her from time to time, looking at children, especially babies with a wistful, sad expression and it was times like those he wished he knew the right words to say.

A.J. skipped ahead of him, dressed in a red halter top and a breezy skirt. Her brown hair was pulled back in a casual pony tail. From a distance she looked like a teenager. She found a shaded spot beneath a tree and spread out the old quilt she'd brought as he dropped the picnic basket on the ground.

A.J. knelt on the blanket and opened the picnic basket. She glanced up at Kane who was looking across the field, shading his eyes with his hand. She followed his gaze and saw a tiny figure far away on a motorcycle or a dirt bike. At the same time she heard the rumble of a distant engine.

"What is it?" She asked, getting to her feet.

"I don't know," Kane replied, an edge in his voice, "But he's not supposed to be here."

The house and the grounds around it once belonged to the parents of Kane and his brother, The Undertaker. When they were children, The Undertaker had started a fire at the family's funeral home, killing their parents and leaving Kane scarred and disfigured. The house was in a remote area, near a vast forest and they very rarely saw people intrude on the premises.

As she watched she could see the biker turn and head back the way he'd come. "Probably got lost," she suggested. "It looks like he's leaving."

Kane was silent but she could feel how tense he was. He didn't like people in the best of circumstances. A stranger popping up unannounced where he considered his sanctuary could end in disaster. She put a hand on his arm.

"Kane?"

He turned and looked at her. He'd put that damned mask back on but there was little she could do about it. He flatly refused to go out in public without it. She gave him a smile and held out her hand. He took it and let her pull him down next to her on the blanket.

She kept up a lively stream of chatter as they ate, her girlish voice jumping from one subject to another with ease, frequently amusing him with her witty comments. It was one of the things he liked about her. She could keep up a conversation without expecting him to contribute very much. She understood his silences were the product of a man whose thoughts were so deep they were rarely vocalized.

She was giggling and trying to feed him bites of cheesecake when they heard the sound of the engine again, this time much louder than before. She looked up and saw the dirt bike rider had returned and was headed in their direction. Kane and A.J. jumped to their feet as the rider seemed to lose control of the bike, wobbling wildly, and plowing straight for them. Kane shoved her out of the way and then lunged at the rider, clothes lining him clean off the bike. The bike crashed into the tree, flipped and landed on its side.

The rider lay on the ground holding his chest and struggling out of his helmet. Kane strode forward, grabbed him by the front of his jacket, yanked him off the ground and shook him before slamming his back hard up against the tree.

"What do you think you're doing!" he raged.

A.J. hurried to stop Kane before he decided to chokeslam the boy.

"Kane, stop!" She pulled at his arm. "He's a kid! Stop!"

Kane shoved his face up to the rider's, nose to nose. "You nearly killed my wife," he said between gritted teeth.

A.J. forced herself bodily between her enraged husband and the terrified boy.

"Kane, stop it! I'm OK! He's just a kid!" She put her hand on his face, forced him to look at her.

Kane's lip was raised in a silent snarl but A.J.'s plea finally broke through his anger. His grip on the boy tightened briefly, before he opened his hand and unceremoniously dropped him. He stepped back a few paces but remaining protectively close to his wife, scowling over her shoulder.

She knelt next to the boy, "Hey, are you ok?" she asked in concern.

He tried to sit up and winced, grabbing his chest, "I….I'm sorry." He gasped, "I didn't mean to hurt you."

A.J. helped him sit up,"No, it's OK, we're not hurt. Take it easy. Are YOU hurt?"

The boy shook his head, "I'm sorry," he repeated, "The throttle stuck…I couldn't stop."

"What are you doing here?" Kane demanded, "This land is off limits to outsiders."

The boy looked up at Kane, his wide eyes taking in the furious eyes behind the mask and all seven feet of angry giant. His face blanched with fear, "I'm sorry, I got lost, took a wrong turn off the road. I thought I could ask you how to get back there."

A.J. looked at Kane, "Kane, can you just give me a sec with him? Please? I don't think he meant any harm."

Kane glared at the boy, his mismatched eyes burning a hole through his face. "I don't want him here," he said and turned and walked away behind the tree.

A.J. turned back to the boy, "Sorry about my husband." She said apologetically. "He's pretty protective. What's your name?"

The boy looked at Kane's stiff and angry back and gulped, "My name is Luke." He said, "I'm really sorry. I didn't know this was private property. I just…I just took a wrong turn."

"It's OK, "A.J. said, helping him to his feet. The boy was tall, at least six feet, but still just a boy. He had the gangly look of a colt that had not yet grown into his legs. His eyes were a dark blue, made even bluer by the dark red mop of his hair.

"My name is A.J." She said, trying to make him feel at ease,"and that's my husband, Kane."

Luke reached out to shake her hand, but snatched his hand back when Kane's head snapped around to glower at him suspiciously.

"Uh…nice to meet you…sir," Luke said weakly. Kane's hands flexed into fists before he stalked away.

"How old are you?" A.J. asked.

"I'm 15," Luke said, picking up his bike and looking it over for damage.

15 years old. A.J. looked him up and down. Standing straight he looked even taller than six feet, perhaps six-one or even six-two. At this rate he was slated to grow into a young giant.

"Wow," she said, "You're tall for your age."

He smiled,"Yeah, that's what everyone says."

"Do you live around here?" A.J. asked. She picked his helmet up and handed it to him.

He shook his head,"No, I'm actually just visiting friends of my mom for a couple of weeks. They said there were some good places to go dirt biking out here. I guess I didn't find them." He looked over at Kane who had walked away from them to stand at the edge of the treeline and asked hesitantly. "You said your husband's name is Kane? Is he….the wrestler, Kane?"

A.J. bit her lower lip, "Uhm, yeah…" she said slowly.

Luke's blue eyes lit up, "And that means you're….you're A.J. Lee?"

A.J. sighed, "Yes. But Luke…"

He broke in excitedly,"I knew it! Kane was my favorite wrestler. What happened to you guys? You just kind of disappeared a couple of years back."

A.J. gave him a 'shut the hell up look' and put her fingers to her lips. "Luke," she said quietly, "Kane and I are…retired. No one is supposed to know we live out here. Please, you need to keep this to yourself. Kane really doesn't like company. "

Luke nodded,"Yeah, sure. I won't tell anyone." He got on his bike and tried to start it. It sputtered and died. He tried again and this time it didn't even turn over. "Oh, crap." He muttered.

"What's the matter?" A.J. asked.

"I think my bike's dead." Luke said glumly.

Oops, A.J. felt a prickle of guilt, "Where do you live?"

"My mom's friends live about 5 miles up the main road. I guess I'll just have to walk it home." He stuck his helmet under an arm and started to push the bike toward the road.

A.J. shook her head, "Wait, I can't let you do that," she said. "You're hurt, you're in no condition to walk all that way."

He paused, he didn't really look like he wanted to walk all that way either. "Well…if I could get a ride home, I could come back tomorrow with my truck and pick up my bike."

A.J. nodded,"OK, I'll call a cab for you. It's on me, my treat. I'm sorry my husband nearly killed you."

Luke grinned. "It's OK. Actually, it's kind of an honor to get clothes lined by Kane."

A.J. laughed,"You're one of the only people I've met who'd ever say that. Wait here."

She walked over to where Kane waited and touched his arm. "The boy is OK, in case you were wondering." She said teasingly.

He looked down at her "Is he leaving?" he asked bluntly.

A.J. nodded,"Yes, I'm calling a cab for him. His bike is trashed," she paused to give him a pointed look, "so he's going to have to come back tomorrow to get it."

He totally missed her subtle reproach,"He almost hurt you." he said sullenly.

A.J.'s face softened as she looked at her husband. He was a man of few words but he didn't have to tell her that the fear of losing her was still something that haunted him every day. And considering what they had gone through, how they'd almost lost each other, it was something that was never far from her mind as well.

"Kane," she said gently,"It was an accident. His name is Luke. He's harmless. I'm going to the house to call him a cab. Please don't kill him while I'm gone."

Kane grunted noncommittally but let her give him a kiss on the cheek. She started toward the house, leaving him and the boy alone. He crossed his massive arms over his chest and pinned the boy with a glare. Luke swallowed and knelt next to his bike, suddenly finding something very interesting about the front tire.

Kane knew A.J. was right. He was just a harmless boy. But there was something about him that Kane did not like, something very familiar in his face that he couldn't put his finger on. It was almost as if he'd seen this boy somewhere before, but where?

* * *

Luke kept his head down, pretending to fiddle with his bike but really using it as a shield to keep from meeting Kane's eyes. He could practically feel the heat of the big man's glare right through his bike. This wasn't exactly how he'd pictured this meeting. He'd thought it would be a little more, well, normal. He even had a speech all prepared but it got knocked out of his head the instant Kane's forearm slammed into his chest.

To be honest, he hadn't expected tears and hugs of welcome but crap, this Kane guy was downright scary in his unfriendliness. Not only was he huge, he looked like he was just waiting for an excuse to murder someone and bury them in an unmarked grave. For an instant he wondered if he had the right guy but he'd seen enough pictures and videos to know this was indeed the Kane he was looking for.

Kane's wife came back out from the house, waving him over. Luke jumped to his feet. She seemed really nice and on top that she was pretty damn hot.

"A cab is on the way," she said, giving him a gorgeous smile. "In the meantime, why don't you put your bike in the shed? You can come pick it up anytime tomorrow."

"OK, sure" he started to push it toward the shed when Kane pushed him aside and simply picked the bike up and carried it off toward the shed.

"Uh, thanks." Luke called after him. He looked at A.J. "Is he always this cheerful?"

A.J. shrugged apologetically,"He wasn't expecting company."

They started walking toward the front of the house, "So, where are you from? Are you just visiting on summer vacation?" A.J. asked, trying to make conversation.

For a brief moment, Luke considered coming clean and telling her the truth. But then he saw Kane walking toward them, back from stowing his bike. The man looked no happier coming than he did going.

"Uh, just visiting friends over the summer," he said hastily. "You know, getting out of my mom's hair for a couple of weeks."

A.J. laughed, "Yeah, I know how that goes. My mom sent me off a few times in the summer when I was in school too."

He saw a car coming up the driveway, "Uh, I think my cab's here."

"OK," A.J. said, "Come by anytime tomorrow. "

"Thanks," Luke said. "Nice meeting you Mr. Kane," he said awkwardly. Kane said nothing, merely tilted his head as he watched Luke from behind the expressionless mask.

"Screw you too, god damn friggin' jerk,"Luke muttered under his breath as he got in the cab. He was sorely disappointed. Maybe his mother had been right. He should have never come here.

Still, he couldn't stop himself from turning around and looking out the back window at his father one last time as the car drove away.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter Two**

The phone was ringing. A.J. cracked an eye and looked at the clock. 7am, who was calling at this god awful hour? She reached over, picked it up and then hung it back up.

Ahh…. silence.

She rolled over to go back to sleep.

Ten seconds later it rang again. What the hell? Fine, she'd answer it, but whoever was on the other side of that line was going to get a good dose of her morning bitch!

Eyes still closed, she groped for the receiver and brought it to her ear.

"Hello?" She said sleepily.

"Hello? Hello? Who am I speaking to?" said a loud, bombastic voice in her ear.

A.J.'s eyes sprang open. That voice.

She hadn't heard that voice in over three years but she recognized it instantly. She sat up in the bed.

"Who is this?" she demanded, even though she already knew the answer.

"This is Vince McMahon. Who is this?"The voice barked back.

"This is A.J." she replied slowly. Vince McMahon. The last time she'd seen him he was dragging her down an aisle to forcibly marry Daniel Bryan.

"A.J.!" Vince said jovially, "How have you been?"

A.J. felt creepy chills crawl up her spine. Though she knew he couldn't see her, she drew the sheets up over her shoulders. For once she was glad the other side of the bed was empty.

"How did you get this number?" She asked coldly.

"Oh, A.J. I'm a billionaire." Vince said. His smarmy voice hadn't change and ounce in three years. "Do you think something like getting your phone number would really be that difficult for me?"

A.J. wanted to slam the phone down but she knew that Vince would just call back or even worse, show up at the house.

"What the hell do you want, Vince?" she said sharply.

"No need to get defensive," Vince said, "I just want to talk to the Big Man," he paused,"You are still with him, aren't you? You and Kane, living happily ever after?"

A.J. seethed. Of course Vince knew she and Kane were still together. He wouldn't have called here otherwise. "I don't think Kane wants to talk to you." She informed him.

"You're probably right," Vince said smugly, "But I think he'll want to hear what I have to say. Give him the phone, A.J. I'll eventually talk to him one way or another. Why don't you just make it easy on both of us?"

A.J. wished she could reach through the phone and punch him in the face. But she knew that Vince McMahon was right about one thing. If he wanted to speak with Kane, he would eventually get his way.

"Fine," she gritted and went to find her husband.

She found him out by the shed splitting firewood. For a moment she forgot her annoyance at Vince's call and just stood back and watched, enjoying the way the powerful muscles of his arms, bare chest and back rippled beneath his skin as he split log after log. She loved her husband for his silent intensity, his dark, serious nature, but damn, being tall, strong and sexy didn't hurt either.

He finally noticed her and threw the ax to the side, flipping his long dark hair out of his face. He started to smile but the smile died as his eyes fell to the phone she was silently holding out to him.

"Who?" he asked.

"Vince McMahon." She replied.

His lips pressed together in a grim line but he took the phone, "Yes," he said quietly.

A.J. could hear Vince's voice on the other side of the phone babbling excitedly. Kane remained silent, just listening for a long time. Finally, McMahon stopped talking.

Kane said one word. "No."

He dropped the phone and crushed it beneath his foot.

A.J. let out the breath she hadn't even realized she was holding, "What did he want?" she asked.

Kane shook his head, "It doesn't matter." He held his hand out to her. She grinned, laced her fingers through his and walked with him back to the house.

* * *

Kane closed his eyes as the steaming hot water sluiced over his head and down his back. The heat was almost unbearable but it was cleansing, not only for his body but his soul. As a child he'd been forced to take scalding hot baths to cleanse him of his sins. As a man, he knew he still had plenty of sins to atone for.

He wondered if the life he had now was some sort of redemption and if so, what had he done to earn it. He had spent his entire life as a monster, leaving a path of pain and destruction in his wake and not only did he not care, he reveled in the devastation he wrought. It wasn't until A.J. came along and recognized the spark of humanity that still lived in him that he wanted to prove he could be something better. He wanted to change for her.

If this indeed was his redemption, then Vince McMahon's offer to come back to the WWE would be descending back into hell. Once again, his soul would be forfeit and Vince McMahon was the devil who would own it.

He turned off the water and stepped out of the shower. Water dripped on the floor as he faced the mirror above the sink. He swiped his hand across it, clearing a patch on the foggy glass and leaned forward, staring at his face. His dark hair hung over his forehead, dripping water in his eyes. He pushed it back.

He was still repulsive. How could she stand it?

It was his brother's fault. Everytime he looked at his own scarred and disfigured face he felt the same rage rise up in him, a rage so strong that in that moment he could kill his brother with his bare hands. The Undertaker was the one who had set the fire. He was the one who had killed their parents but Kane was the one who had paid the price.

He raised his fist to smash yet another mirror, but stopped himself at the last moment. It had been over a week since he'd broken a mirror. A.J. had been getting rather annoyed at his habit, especially when she repeatedly assured him that she found his face perfectly acceptable, loveable even. He didn't know what to make of it. The only explanation he could come up with was that she was not always completely sane.

He picked up the mask and started to pull it on but then changed his mind and threw it back on the counter. She hated the mask and he loved her enough to take it off.

* * *

As he walked out of the bedroom he could hear heavy metal music playing somewhere in the house. That was odd, A.J.'s taste in music was eclectic but mostly ranged toward dance and pop. She often made him smile by dancing around the house in just a t-shirt and sliding across the wood floors in her socks. Then again, just about anything she did made him smile.

He looked in the study but it was empty. The music was coming from the other side of the house. Kane headed toward the living room.

The stereo was on and someone was sitting on the couch. He glanced up as Kane entered the room.

It was that red haired boy from the day before.

Kane quickly turned his head away, but not before Luke caught a glimpse of his ravaged face.

"Holy shit!" he heard the boy say.

That was it. He pulled his hair down, covered his face with his left hand and lunged at Luke. The boy stood up in alarm but was on his feet for less than a split second before Kane smashed him in the chest with the heel of his right hand. He flew backward, over the couch and hit the wall hard enough to knock the painting off the wall. Kane stepped over the couch in one long stride, threw the painting to the side and grabbed the boy's face.

"What are you looking at?" he snarled. "What are you doing in my house?"

The boy wouldn't or couldn't answer. He struggled, his long legs thrashing like a hooked fish. His dark blue eyes, what Kane could see of them through his own fingers, were staring at him in terror.

"Stop looking at me BOY!" He roared and began to squeeze.

"Kane!" A.J. screamed, jumping on his back. "Stop!"

For one terrible second, Kane almost attacked her. After three years away from the ring, it still came back to him as instinctively as a baby taking its first breath. When she landed on him, trying to pull him away from the boy, he nearly reached back and punched her in the face.

Instead, he let go of the boy and punched the wall, his fist crunching through the plaster. He shook her off of his back and started to lurch away, horrified by what he'd almost done. A.J. scrambled to her feet, followed him.

"Kane! Stop!" she shouted.

"Stay away from me," he said, his voice raspy. He started toward the door.

"God damn it, Kane. Don't pull this shit again!" A.J. said angrily, "Don't you dare walk out that door and leave me again!"

"I almost hurt you!" he said, his voice agonized.

A.J. put her hands on her hips, her dark eyes flashing. God, but she was beautiful!

"You didn't hurt me, ok? I'm fine. But if you leave again, if you go running away from whatever you think you almost did and disappear, you _will_ hurt me. Is that what you want?"

Kane couldn't answer. She took his silence for agreement."Just stay there, please?"

She went to kneel by the boy. "Luke, are you OK? I am sooo sorry!" She said trying to help him up.

The boy was crying, whether in pain or fear, Kane couldn't tell. Looking at the boy's face, Kane again felt that disquieting sense of familiarity. He had seen this boy before. He was sure of it. But where?

"I didn't do anything,"Luke whimpered, "He just hit me for no reason!"

Kane scowled, "Why are you in my house?"

"He came back for his bike. I invited him in." A.J. said, "I'm sorry, I should have warned you, but you didn't have to beat the crap out of him!"

And amazingly, what she was saying was making sense. Why had he attacked the boy so viciously? He didn't know.

"He...saw my face..."Kane said. It was the only excuse he could offer.

A.J. suddenly seemed to realize that he didn't have his mask on. Her anger melted as she looked at him sadly. "He didn't mean anything, Kane. He's a kid. He's a _fan_ of yours. I just thought you might be in a better mood today and he could meet you without you being so angry."

"I'm sorry," Luke said, wiping his cheeks with the heels of his hands. Frightened, he looked very much like the teenager he was. He avoided Kane's eyes " I didn't mean to say that about your face. I just...you surprised me..."

Kane's eyes narrowed. The boy seemed to be telling the truth, but still, there was something off about him.

"I don't want fans," Kane told him bluntly. "Take your bike and go and don't ever come back here again." He turned and walked out of the room.

A.J. sighed,"I'm sorry, Luke. But I think you'd better do what he says."

Luke nodded, rubbing his face. "I'm sorry, I won't bother you guys any more."

He slowly got to his feet and walked unsteadily to the door.

A.J. winced, poor kid! "I'm sorry!" she said again. He gave her a halfhearted wave and walked out the door.

A.J. sighed and picked the painting up from the floor. The canvas was ripped. Great.

She tossed it aside and went to look for her husband.

"Kane?" She called. He wasn't in the bedroom. She frowned, where the hell was he?

"Kane!" She looked everywhere in the house but it soon became apparent he was gone.

* * *

Luke glumly drove the black pickup down the road, rubbing his aching chest where Kane had hit him. This second meeting had gone even worse than the first. He didn't understand it. How could his mother have ever been with that psycho? He turned down a driveway which led to a modest ranch style house and pulled up to the garage. He got out and started to undo the tarp covering his bike in the bed of the truck.

Hmmm, he frowned, some of the cords were loose, he'd sworn he tied them all down when he put the bike in the back of the truck. He pulled on the tarp.

The tarp exploded back as Kane stood up.

"Fuck!"Luke yelped and stumbled backwards in surprise as Kane jumped to the floor. Once again he had his mask on and all Luke could see of his face were his eyes and the grim line of his mouth.

"Come here!" Kane ordered.

Luke backpedaled, tripping over a can of paint. "What the hell do you want?" he squeaked.

"I want to know who you are," Kane demanded.

"I'm...I'm just a kid!"Luke said, his voice cracking.

"Why does your face look familiar to me? Where have I seen you before?" Kane persisted.

"I don't know!" Luke said,"I never saw you before yesterday!"

Kane's eyes burned into him. Luke could hear his angry breathing in the silence of the garage.

Finally, Kane said "You will leave my wife alone. You will leave me alone. You will never come near us again."

Something snapped in Luke's head, something suicidal."No, I won't." he said defiantly. "You're not going to write me off that easily!"

Kane had turned, as if he were going to walk away, but he whirled back around and wrapped his hand around the boy's throat, cutting his air off and slamming him up against the wall.

"Just who do you think you are to refuse me?" he snarled in Luke's face.

The boy pried at the iron fingers gripping his throat. His feet kicked, heels drumming against the wall. With the last breath in his lungs he wheezed out "I'm…your….. SON!"

The words hit Kane like a blow from a sledgehammer. He stared at the boy in shock. His fingers, suddenly numb and strengthless, dropped Luke to the floor where he landed in a heap, choking and gasping for air.

"No, no, no." Kane shook his head as he backed away from the boy. "That's impossible. I have no son."

Luke slowly got back to his feet, the marks from Kane's fingers livid on his throat. "You _are_ my father," he insisted.

"No!" Kane growled, "You are _not_ my son!"

"Look!" the boy shouted back."Do you think I want you as my dad?"

Angry tears welled in his eyes as he fought to keep them from spilling down his cheeks. "I don't want it to be you anymore than you want me! No one would want you as a father! You're a fucking asshole! But that doesn't change the fact that you are! Look at me! "

His hands rose to his eyes and for a second Kane thought the boy had broken down and was weeping. But no, he was doing something to his eyes, removing…contact lenses? Luke looked back at him, his wet, tearful eyes were no longer a deep sapphire blue. Instead his eyes were mismatched, the left dark and smoldering with hints of red in its depths, his right a pale, almost colorless blue.

Kane felt like the world was tilting beneath his feet. He reeled back groping for the wall for balance.

"Who are you?"he asked hoarsely, "Who is your mother? Tell me, boy!"

Before Luke could answer a sharp voice cut through the air from behind him.

"Leave him alone, Kane!"

Kane felt his blood turn cold. He knew that voice. It all made sense now, the familiarity of the boy's face, his red hair. Of course, how blind he'd been!

Lita.

He slowly turned to face her.

Lita, the beautiful Diva for whom he'd had an obsession so many years ago, the woman whom he'd tried to force to love him, the woman whom he'd tortured and brainwashed and nearly driven mad.

She was still so achingly beautiful that he could barely look her. Her face, pale porcelain skin, eyes the jaded green of a jungle cat. Her deep red hair, the hair that had so captivated him, cascaded around her shoulders like live embers. She looked every bit as wild and untamable as when he'd first laid eyes on her.

"Lita," he whispered.

"Hello Kane," she said.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter Three**

The boy turned toward his mother, looking sheepish, "Mom…" he began but his voice quailed when Lita pinned him with a steely glare.

"What the hell are you doing, Lucius? I told you to let me handle this!" she demanded.

"But, Mom!" he protested.

"Get in the house, now!" She snapped.

The boy looked like he wanted to protest some more but she scowled so fiercely at him that he reluctantly obeyed, slamming the door behind him.

She turned back to Kane, eyeing him warily, "Well, this is definitely not the way I wanted you to find out."

"No, no, no," Kane shook his head in denial. "He can't be my son. You lost the baby. The doctors told me…"

It was true. She had been pregnant with his child, reluctantly pregnant, but when she suffered a miscarriage after an unfortunate accident it had devastated the both of them.

Lita raised her chin, her emerald eyes meeting and holding his, "Yes," she said "I did lose our baby." Her jaw clenched momentarily, as if the memory still pained her, "Our first baby. But that wasn't the only time we conceived a child."

Kane stared at her, uncomprehending, "When…?"

Lita looked down, "Don't you remember that night," she asked quietly, "the night before I left you for Edge, for good?"

Kane's forehead furrowed as the memory slowly came back to him. Much of what happened after the miscarriage was a blur of red rage and vengeance. But now, he did remember a particular night, when their sham of a marriage was all but broken and he knew he was losing her to Edge. That had been an endless night of violence and screaming, hate filled accusations, both of them flinging the cruelest words they could think of at each other, including blame for the loss of their baby.

It was the night that ended with Lita crying, inconsolable, and him for once sharing her hurt and the two of them trying the kill the pain in the only way they knew how.

He closed his eyes; the memory still had the power to wound him to the core. Maybe that's why he'd pushed it to the back of his conscious mind. "Why didn't you tell me?" he said hollowly.

Lita laughed, it was a hard brittle sound, "You're asking me why? Why _would_ I have told you? By the time I found out I was pregnant again I'd already left you for Edge. And then you tried to ruin that for me. Why the hell would I have given you another excuse to barge into my life when I was finally happy?"

Kane ground his teeth in anger. His fingers flexed, he could choke the life out of her for what she had done! "But he was my son! You knew how much I wanted…"

"Yes, I knew how much you wanted a child," Lita broke in angrily, "You practically raped me the first time you got me pregnant!"

Kane shook his head. He was a monster but he'd never-"I did not rape you-"he protested heatedly.

"No, you just forced me to sleep with you!" Lita threw back. Her face was flushing red in anger making her even more beautiful. Ah, why was she back? He'd thought he'd never have to look at her again.

"We had an agreement!" Kane countered," You _agreed_ –"

"So you would stop hurting Matt!"

"You even seemed to enjoy it when we-"

"SHUT UP!" Lita shrieked.

Kane fell silent.

Lita closed her eyes and took a moment to compose herself. When she opened them again, they were filled with nothing but loathing, at him and at herself. "Do you know how disgusted I was with myself that I let you touch me again? You succeeded, Kane. You succeeded in breaking me and Edge apart. Why do you think he left me? When Lucius was born, when Edge saw his eyes and knew who his father was, he couldn't forgive me. "

She looked down at her hands, "And how could I blame him? I couldn't even forgive myself."

Kane felt the sting of her words. Even after all this time she still had the power to hurt him. He had tried _so hard_ to win her heart and she'd never, for even one single moment, loved him back.

"I know you never loved me, Lita. But I _did_ love you, once."

Lita sighed, "Kane, you didn't love me. You treated me like some kind of…vessel for your offspring. "

She was so wrong; he had loved her, in his own sick and twisted way. He'd thought a baby would bind her to him, make her his.

"Then why?" Kane demanded, "Why are you here?"

Lita gestured toward the house, "Do you think this was my idea? I could live for the rest of my life without ever seeing you again. It was Lucius. He's a smart boy, how long do you think it took him to put two and two together and figure out who his father is? Those damned eyes you gave him. He wanted to meet you. I tried to talk him out of it but he insisted."

"Lucius? He told us his name was Luke."

Lita shrugged, "He likes to go by Luke but his name is Lucius. I named him for you. I thought it was appropriate."

"_Appropriate_?" Kane growled, "And did you ever think it would be _appropriate_ to tell me I had a son?"

Lita crossed her arms, "I'm not going to go over it again Kane. I did what I felt I had to do. Now that he's met you and been properly terrified by you, I want you to tell him that you have no interest in being a father. Tell him that you want nothing to do with him so he stops looking for something he's not going to find with you."

Kane stood silently, his hair hanging in his face. Then he slowly shook his head, "No,"

Lita's green eyes narrowed."No? What do you mean, no?"

Kane stepped closer to her, looming over her like a demon of death. She could practically feel the fury boiling off of him in waves and had to force herself to stand her ground. "He's my son and you won't keep him from me any longer."

Lita thrust out her chin in that defiant way Kane remembered so well. "Really? What about A.J.? That's her name, isn't it? What will your precious little wifey think about suddenly having a teenage step son?"

Kane grabbed her by the upper arms so hard she couldn't stop a gasp of pain from escaping her lips. He pushed her up against the wall, "Don't ever speak about my wife."He growled, "She is everything to me that you never were."

Lita fought back tears as she met his eyes without flinching, "Except the mother of your child," she said between gritted teeth.

Kane's upper lip twitched and for a moment she thought she'd gone too far. But then, his fingers opened and he let her go. "I'm going to speak to my son." He said. He turned, pushed the door open and ducked into the house.

Lita stood there standing against the wall where he'd pushed her. She rubbed her arms where his fingers had left deep angry red marks that were sure to bruise. She pushed her red hair back from her face, her green eyes sparkling. Kane had not changed. He was still the monster that she had known and that would be his downfall. Her eyes narrowed and her red lips curved into a malevolent smile.

* * *

The house was dark and silent but Kane knew the boy was there. He could smell his fear and adrenaline hanging in the air like the stench of a wild animal.

"I know you're here, Boy. Come out, I won't hurt you." Kane said.

For a moment nothing moved, and then Kane heard a shuffling noise and a light snapped on. "What did you do to my mom?" Lucius demanded.

Kane blinked and saw his son standing in the far corner holding up a baseball bat. He felt a faint touch of amusement. The boy was like a tiny bear cub snarling and batting at a full grown grizzly.

"I didn't hurt Lita," Kane said approaching his son.

Lucius swallowed nervously and began to cock the bat over his shoulder, "Stay back! I heard you fighting with her!" he said.

"I didn't hurt her," Kane repeated. Lucius swung at him wildly. Kane reached out and easily caught the bat, ripping it from his grasp. Lucius gasped as Kane casually broke the bat over his knee and tossed it aside.

"What do you want?" Lucius asked.

Kane didn't answer right away. He studied the boy's face, trying to see the parts that were his. He was exceptionally tall for his age. And his eyes and the line of his jaw were the same as Kane's, but the boy's nose and mouth were exactly like his mother's, as was his dark red hair.

"You're my son," he said wonderingly.

Lucius looked uncomfortable with the scrutiny, "Yeah, I told you that already. Do you need Maury Povich to tell you that You are the father?"

Kane didn't understand what the boy meant but he wanted to try to undo some of the damage he'd already done.

"I am sorry for the way I behaved, but you should have told me when we first met."

Lucius scowled, "Yeah, right! I wanted to tell you but you were a major dick wad! My mom warned me that you would be. I didn't believe her but I should have."

Kane's eyes narrowed, "Your mother should have told me about you years ago!"

"Yeah?" Lucius shot back, "Well, maybe if you weren't such an asshole she would have!"

For the briefest instant, Kane considered backhanding this insolent brat across the room but managed to restrain himself. "I'm sorry," he repeated, "But now that I know you are my son, I would like to...to know you better."

Lucius looked at him suspiciously, "Why? You tried to beat the shit out of me just an hour ago and now you want to be my dad?"

Kane tilted his head, "You are my blood, it changes everything." he said simply. "I will give you time. Come to me when you are ready."

Lucius watched as his father turned to leave. He almost called out for him to wait but stopped, upset and confused.

Kane walked out past Lita without a word. "Wait! What did you say to my son?" She yelled. But he didn't answer. He was going home to A.J. and he had no idea how to tell her he had a son.

* * *

A.J. sat on the couch clutching a pillow in her fists, silently seething. Kane had been gone for over three hours and she had no idea when he would be back, or if he would be back. She couldn't believe he did this to her again. Her emotions were in turmoil, alternating between furious anger and heartbreaking despair. Just wait until he got back! She was going to give him a piece of her mind!

The door opened and Kane strode in, ducking his head through the door. She leapt to her feet, "Kane!"

Wordlessly he swept her up and clutched her against him so tightly he almost cut off her breath.

"A.J." he breathed.

Her anger evaporated, as she wrapped her arms around him. She could feel the pounding of his heart against hers. He was breathing as if he'd just run a 400 yard sprint. Something was wrong, something had hurt him.

"Kane," she said in a gentler voice, "What is it? What's wrong?"

He shook his head, burying his face in her fragrant hair. "Tell me you love me," he demanded hoarsely.

A.J. stroked the back of his neck, "I love you, Kane." she whispered. His arms briefly tightened even more, making her see black spots in front of her eyes before he released her and stumbled over to the wall. "Kane, you're scaring me, please, tell me what's wrong."

He leaned against the wall, not looking at her, "That boy, I followed him..."

A.J. felt the blood drain from her face. She sat heavily down on the couch, "Luke? Kane, please tell me you didn't...you didn't kill him?"

He shook his head, "No. A.J." his mouth worked but no sound came out, as if he were struggling with himself to get the words out. "He's...he's my...son."

The world seemed to slam down on her. For a moment she wondered if she was losing her mind again. "What? How...how is that possible?"

Kane slowly turned toward her, his eyes were full of anguish, "I've told you about my ex wife."

A.J. nodded. Of course she knew about Lita. She had never met the woman but knew her by reputation and old WWE videos as a beautiful, fiery redhead. She and Kane had a tumultuous relationship that ended when she cheated on him with Edge.

"But...you told me she lost the baby..." A.J. said slowly.

Kane nodded, "Yes, but she never told me she became pregnant a second time. She never told me about our son."

A.J. put her hands over her face. Kane dropped to his knees before her, "Please, forgive me..."he begged.

A.J. shook her head, "Forgive you?" she asked, "There's nothing to forgive. You didn't know about him. This is just a...shock. I never expected you to have a teenage son."

Kane pulled her hands down and forced her to face him. His mismatched eyes searching hers, "It changes nothing between us," he said. "Does it?"

A.J. knew him well enough to hear the trace of fear in his voice and it was enough for her heart to soften completely. She used her fingers to comb his hair out of his face and pushed the mask off of his face to the top of his head. He didn't resist. She searched his face earnestly before leaning in to kiss him tenderly. He closed his eyes as he kissed her back, a hint of desperation in the way he clutched at her shoulders. She pulled back and cupped her hands around his face, her thumbs lightly tracing the horrible scars across his cheeks.

"Kane," she said, "I think I loved you almost from the moment I first kissed you. Nothing can ever change that. Your past is done. All I'm concerned about is our future together."

Kane leaned his forehead against hers, a familiar, comforting gesture. "I told my son...I want to know him." he confessed.

A.J. nodded, "It's OK. It's natural that you want to get to know your son."

"My son," Kane repeated, as if he still couldn't believe it. A.J. felt a sudden pang. Oh, how she had hoped and wished and prayed she could be the one to give Kane his first child. Now it would never be. Someone else had given him what she so far couldn't. It was illogical but she felt robbed.

There was a loud banging on the door. Kane's head jerked up, his eyes met A.J.'s.

A.J. slowly rose and went to the door. She opened it. Lucius stood on the other side. He looked embarrassed when he saw her.

"Uh, hi." He said awkwardly.

A.J. tilted her head, studying the boy's face, trying to see her husband in his face. He grew uncomfortable under her scrutiny and cleared his throat, "Uhm…I was wondering if …Kane was here?"

A.J. sighed, "Sure, "she said and stood aside. He smiled apologetically at her and slunk by. A.J. started to close the door but realized with a start that he wasn't alone. A beautiful red-haired woman was standing on the doorstep. A.J. recognized her instantly.

Lita.

Kane scowled,"Why are you here?" he snapped.

Lita crossed her arms, "If you think I'm going to let my son come here by himself you're crazy. Don't look at me like that Kane. I tried to talk him out of coming here. Told him to at least let you cool off for a couple of days."

Kane started to protest but A.J. cut him off with a raised hand. She had not taken her eyes off of Lita. She'd seen Lita in old videos from when she was a WWE Diva. In person she was even more beautiful, tall with tresses the color of living flame. No wonder Kane had been so drawn to her. Standing in her presence made A.J. feel small, plain and mousy.

"It's OK Kane," she said, "Talk to your son. I'll keep Lita company."

Lita smirked at Kane who glared back. "Yes Kane. Your wife and I can…gossip while you talk to your son."

A.J. led the way to the study. Lita looked around, "Wow, this place hasn't changed much since I was here last." She remarked.

A.J. felt a sting in her casual words. Lita had been married to Kane, of course she would have spent time in the house.

"Same furniture and everything," Lita said looking around the study, "I wonder if even the beds are the same!" She laughed, though A.J. didn't much humor in the remark.

Lita plopped down on one of the chairs, casually leaning back. "So, you're Kane's wife."

A.J. nodded primly. "Yes,"

"How long have you known each other?" Lita twirled in the chair.

A.J. cleared her throat,"About three and a half years." She said.

Lita raised her eyebrows,"Wow, and you guys don't have kids yet? Are you waiting for some reason?"

A.J. shook her head,"No…uh…well, we've tried, it just hasn't happened yet."

Lita snorted, "Wow, well, good luck. Maybe you just need to relax a little. God knows, Kane knocked me up practically every time we had sex."

A.J. felt her face reddening, what was this woman doing? Was she trying to rub it in?

"Yeah, well, I guess some of us are luckier than others," she said stiffly.

Lita's expression changed, became contrite,"Oh, look, I'm sorry. I'm not trying to be a bitch to you." She said, "I just…Kane and I didn't have the best relationship. I still have a lot of bitterness. I'm sorry."

A.J. nodded, "I gathered that, even though Kane has never really talked about you or your past with him that much."

Lita cocked her head curiously,"Really? Well, what has he said about me?"

A.J. was uncomfortable, "Well, he told me you only married him because you got pregnant and….that you cheated on him…which led to your breakup and divorce."

Lita's lovely face clouded with anger,"Is _that_ what he said?" she spat, "Let me ask you honey, has your _wonderful_ husband ever kidnapped you and tied you up in a boiler room?"

A.J. numbly shook her head,"no." she whispered. He had never hurt her but, it did sound like something he was capable of.

"And has he ever threatened to hurt the ones you love if you don't give in to him and do what he wants you to?" Lita continued.

"No! Kane wouldn't…."A.J. trailed off. Of course he would. She knew that her husband wasn't a saint, far from it. But she'd never thought he'd be capable of hurting someone he claimed to love.

"There's a lot you don't know about your husband," Lita said bitterly,"But lucky for you, I'm here to fill you in."

As Lita began to talk A.J. felt the urge to punch her in the face, or get up and run away, or clap her hands over her ears and scream, anything rather than hear what Lita was about to tell her. But in the end, she sat frozen and listened and learned everything.


	4. Chapter 4

Kane stood in the living room looking down at his son who in turn stared awkwardly down at his feet. Lucius snuck a look at Kane's face only to nervously jerk his eyes away when he was met with an emotionless stare.

Finally, Kane spoke. "I didn't expect you so soon." The Big Red Machine said in a deceptively quiet and grave voice.

Lucius swallowed, "I….I didn't want to give you time to change your mind." He said, trying to keep his voice steady.

Kane tilted his head, his eyes unblinking, "I would not have changed my mind. You're my son." He couldn't stop looking at the boy. He was tall for his age, but gangly. Judging by his large hands and feet, it wouldn't be long until he grew into his own size and become a virtual giant like his father and his uncle.

Lucius shrugged, "I don't know. You really didn't seem to want me around…I just thought…"

Kane's eyes narrowed, "Blame that on your mother. I didn't even know you existed until two hours ago!" he said angrily.

Lucius nodded, hastily taking a step back. Kane had to curl his hands into fists against his thighs to keep from smashing something. Damn the boy! He looked so much like his mother! It was as if history was repeating itself. Looking at Lucius's fearful face, Kane felt a conflicting churn of rage, hopelessness and longing. The boy was his blood, the child he'd wanted so badly. And here he was, a stranger, almost a man grown, afraid of his own father.

Kane felt a killing rage sweep over him. In that moment he could gladly murder Lita for what she'd stolen from him.

"Listen, _boy_…"he began thunderously, then stopped as Lucius flinched at his tone. He took a deep breath and with great effort managed to lower his voice. "Lucius," he began again in a softer voice, "I'm sorry, I didn't know I was your father. Your mother kept you from me. Believe me, if I had known of your existence nothing in this world would have kept me from you. But now that I know, I would like to be your father…in whatever way I can and whatever way you allow."

Lucius nodded slowly, "Look, I know I kinda sprung myself on you." He said, "It's just that…not having a dad, I always had this…like fantasy that, when I finally met you, you'd be all happy to see me and…stuff. And you weren't. I was disappointed. I mean, it seemed like you wanted to kill me…"

Kane gave an exasperated grunt, "How many times are you going to go back to the same thing? I DID NOT KNOW WHO YOU WERE! It wouldn't have mattered who you were, you nearly ran down my wife with that machine of yours. How did you expect me to react?"

Lucius was quiet as he considered. He nodded, "Yeah, I guess I can see it from your point of view," he finally said. They both fell quiet, the silence growing until Lucius fidgeted uncomfortably, "So…uhm…what do we do now?"

Kane shrugged, "How am I to know? I've never done this before. I suppose, you tell me about yourself, and I'll do the same."

"Well, OK, "Lucius agreed. He took a deep breath and began to talk.

* * *

"A.J., I'm glad you're enjoying your little fairytale life with Kane, but it wasn't that way for me," Lita said. She'd made herself comfortable in the arm chair, leaning back and hooking a leg over the overstuffed arm, her green eyes fixed shrewdly on A.J.'s face.

"We're not living a fairytale," A.J. protested weakly.

"Oh, yes you are. Look, I'm sorry, but I kind of lied when I asked you how long you and Kane have been together." Lita confessed. "I already knew. I've followed your relationship with him from the start. I know how it began, how it was love at first sight for the two of you, how you were this kidnapped princess and he was this hero who risked his own life to rescue you from that evil little troll, Daniel Bryan. And damn it, as much as I resent him, I couldn't help feeling jealous. I admit it." Lita closed her eyes, the muscles in her jaw twitching as she struggled to steady her voice, "You see, for me, _Kane _was the monster. The things he did to me…and no one ever rescued me…"

A.J. looked away, shaking her head, "I don't believe you," she whispered, "how am I supposed to believe you? I _know_ my husband. He's never been anything but the kindest...most gentle...the way he treats me, the way he looks at me…"

Lita interrupted her with a harsh little laugh, "Oh, I _know _the way he looks at you. He used to look at me like that too. I was with Matt Hardy when I met Kane. We'd been together for years. He was the love of my life. Then, one day, I ran into Kane." Her expression grew pinched as if the memory pained her.

"It happened backstage, before a match against Trish Stratus. I was headed toward the ring entrance and he came from nowhere, I literally ran right into him, smacked face first into his chest. He scared the shit out of me. I tried to apologize to him. I knew about Kane, he was never a man you wanted to have angry at you.

"I tried to walk around him, but he grabbed my arm, hard, he left bruises. And I looked up at him and he was _staring_ at me with those eyes." Lita's eyes were unfocused, as if seeing him all over again in her mind, "Kane, has this way of looking at you, like he can see through your skin, like he can measure your soul, like he wants to _eat_ you. That's how he looked at me that day." She shivered as her eyes refocused and looked at A.J., "That's what you mean, right?" she asked.

A.J. nodded numbly. That was exactly how Kane looked at her; the intensity of his gaze could still send shivers up and down her spine. "Yes, "she said faintly.

Lita shook her head and rubbed her own arms, "It creeped me out like nothing else. I mean, god, this giant monster of a guy just eyeballing me like a pit bull looking at a steak, ugh!" She suddenly looked at A.J. "Oh, I'm sorry; I'm guessing that you actually think that's sexy, right? Well, to each her own, I guess."

She shook her head, "Anyway, he just stared at me for the longest time, then he touched my hair, kind of picked it up in his fingers and looked at it. For a second I thought he was going to _sniff_ it and then I was going to start screaming my head off but he didn't. He let me go and I hustled out of there like my feet were on fire and my ass was catching. I didn't tell Matt. I should have, it might have changed everything that happened later on."

"You were with Matt Hardy?" A.J. asked, "But, I thought you cheated on Kane with Edge?"

Lita's brows drew together, "Yeah, I did. So? Edge was the only one who cared what was happening to me. Look, I don't need you judging me, OK? Stop thinking Kane was this great guy that I ran out on. He kidnapped me and tied me up in a boiler room!"

A.J. stared at her wide-eyed, "What?" she breathed.

Lita nodded, "If you don't believe me, feel free to look it up in the WWE archives. The old videos are all still there. In fact, I shouldn't even have to be telling you this. If you weren't such a trusting little twit you would have looked it up yourself. Kane kidnapped me. Matt found me that first time and rescued me but that wasn't the end of it. Kane tortured me for weeks, stalking me around every corner, until the week he and Matt got into a huge fight and Kane nearly killed Matt. I did the only thing I could to save him…" she trailed off.

Almost against her will, A.J. asked, "What did you do?" She didn't want to hear the answer but she couldn't help herself.

Lita looked down at her hands. Her face was pale as milk, "When he kidnapped me, Kane told me in no uncertain terms what he wanted. He wanted a baby. He wanted to…impregnate me." She glared defiantly at A.J. "So, I agreed. I agreed to sleep with him so he would stop hurting Matt. That's right A.J. your precious Kane raped me. He forced me as surely as if he'd held a gun to me head, only the gun he used was the threat of crippling or even killing Matt. "

A.J.'s eyes were wide, wild, "No," she said shaking her head, "no, no, no! You're lying!"

"Yes," Lita insisted," And he did it again and again until I was pregnant-"

"NO!" A.J. started to get up from her chair, but Lita pushed her back down easily, held her down with a hand on her chest and spoke right into her face.

"Yes! And when Matt found out it nearly broke us apart. But he loved me enough to want to marry me anyway, despite the fact I was carrying Kane's baby. But it still wasn't enough, Kane forced Matt into a match where I would have to marry the winner and he won. Yeah, "she nodded into A.J.'s stunned face, "Kane won me like a damn handful of chips in a poker game. And that was enough for Matt. He left me after I was forced to marry Kane. He couldn't stand it."

A.J. slapped Lita across the face hard enough to knock her head back. She brought both her feet up and shoved them into Lita's stomach, throwing the other woman off of her. "You lying bitch!" she shrieked.

Lita fell to the floor, one hand clutching her stomach. She was panting but a thin smile still curved her lips. "You know I'm not lying, A.J. Do your own research, find out about the man you call your husband. Is he really the kind of man you want as a father for your children? He wasn't for me."

"_Why are you doing this_?" A.J. cried.

Lita slowly got to her feet,"I'm just trying to help you, A.J. before it's too late. I'm already in this for life. I tried to run away. I tried to keep Lucius away from him but now that he knows we have a son he'll never be out of my life. It's not too late for you. Consider it a blessing you never got pregnant."

That was A.J.'s snapping point. To be told to consider her greatest sorrow a _blessing_. She launched herself at the other woman, clawing at her face. Lita's startled expression told her she hadn't expected this assault at all as she raised her hands too late to defend herself.

Years ago, A.J. had suffered a mental break. Time and distance away from the WWE had healed her, to a point, but the unstable woman was always just beneath the surface. She dug her nails in Lita's cheek, raking down and barely missing her right eye. Lita yelled in pain and grabbed at the smaller woman's arms, "Stop it! Stop!"

She elbowed A.J. in the head and rolled on top of her, "STOP IT!" she screamed.

"MOM!"

Someone grabbed Lita by the back of her shirt and yanked her off of A.J. arms and legs flailing. Kane glared at her as he held her at arm's length, a good foot and a half off the floor, "What are you doing to my wife?" he demanded.

"What am I doing?" Lita shot back, "Look what she did to my face!" She gestured at the deep scratches on her cheek. Kane frowned and dropped her in a heap in the ground. Lucius hurried over to her. "Mom! Are you OK?" he said anxiously.

Kane knelt next to his wife, "A.J. what's going on?" He tried to take her into his arms but she shrank back from him, shaking wildly.

Kane rose and turned to Lita, "What did you say to her?" He said angrily.

Lucius stood and stepped between his father and mother, "Leave her alone! She didn't do anything!" he said. His voice quivered again but he stood his ground as Kane's lip curled in a growl.

"Stop," a quiet voice said.

Kane turned to A.J. She had gotten to her feet but still refused to look at him. What was going on? He laid a hand on her shoulder. She flinched away before allowing him to touch her. His sense of discomfiture grew and he shot another angry look at Lita. What had that bitch done?

"I'm OK, Kane," A.J. said in a hollow voice, "It's my fault. I just over reacted to something Lita said."

Lita was on her feet gingerly touching her cheek,"I'm sorry A.J." she said. "I didn't mean to upset you." she said, her voice the epitome of sincerity.

"No," A.J. said dully, "I'm sure you didn't. Look, it's getting late. Maybe we can talk again some other time."

Lita brushed her hair back from her face in a gesture very familiar to Kane. She smiled and despite the red scratches on her cheek, she was still very beautiful, "Of course. I'm really sorry we bothered you. My son and I will leave you guys alone. "

"Mom, "Lucius said in protest, "Kane…he kind of invited me to…"He faltered as his mother turned her suddenly icy gaze on him, "He invited you to _what?" _she asked in a chilly voice.

"Well, he invited me to hang out here while you're gone next week."Lucius said.

Both Lita and A.J. turned to look at Kane, their expressions of dismay, startlingly similar. "He did?" Lita said.

Kane nodded, but he was distracted by A.J. There was something terribly wrong and he wanted Lita and Lucius gone so he could find out what it was.

"Well," Lita said turning a hard, brittle smile on her ex husband "Wasn't that nice of him. We'll see, Lucius. Come on, let's go."

"But, Mom!" Lucius protested.

"Go," Kane said, his voice brooking no protest. "Listen to your mother. Just remember, you are always welcome here."

Lucius threw a glance at A.J. and then turned, stomping out of the door. Lita looked at A.J. apologetically, "I'm really sorry for upsetting you," she said. "I only want to be your friend."

"GO!" Kane said.

Lita's eyes narrowed as she looked at him, "Gladly," she retorted and then she too was gone.

Kane turned to his wife,"A.J." he said. She looked up at him, her dark brown eyes clouded by something he could not understand,"What did she say to you?" he demanded.

A.J. closed her eyes, as if she couldn't even look at him. "It wasn't really what she said that upset me. It's what she made me realize."

Kane wanted to touch her, wanted to pull her into his arms but there was a sudden wall between them that he could not break through. He was afraid she would pull away from him again and that was something he couldn't bear.

"What is it?" he asked, dreading the answer.

"She has a son, Kane, _your son._ And she would have had another baby if the accident hadn't happened." A.J. bowed her head, her voice so low he had to turn his ear and strain to hear it. "Don't you see? It's my fault we can't have a baby. It's me. There's something wrong with _me._ "

"You don't know that for sure,"Kane began," We can see a doctor. And if it does turn out that we can't have children, then so be it. You are all I want in my life."_  
_

"Are you sure about that?" Her brown eyes sparkled feverishly as they searched his mismatched ones, her head tilted slowly in a gesture he had not seen from her in years. "Would you ever lie to me, Kane?"

He moved his head to the left, to the right and then back to center, "Never," he said emphatically.

She sighed, wrapped her arms around herself. "This has been a crazy day. I'm tired, I think I'm going to go to bed." She turned and disappeared down the hall. He made no move to follow her. What had happened? The day had indeed been a crazy one. The appearance of his son and his ex wife and now his wife was behaving strangely. He had the impulse to drive down the road and throttle Lita until she told him exactly what had happened between her and A.J.

But of course, it wouldn't help the budding relations with his son to strangle his mother.

His son. The thought almost brought a smile to his face. It was the only good thing that had happened this day. He and the boy had talked at length, their conversation coming easier and easier before they heard the women screaming and fighting from the other room. But he could tell the boy was bright, curious and by the very act of confronting Kane himself, braver than he at first seemed. Was Lucius an example of how he himself might have turned out if his brother hadn't set that terrible fire?

He looked in the direction of the bedroom. A.J., of course she was upset. He should be more sensitive to her feelings. As much of a shock as it was to him to find he had a son, it must be doubly shocking to her. He walked toward the bedroom. He would comfort her the best he could and if she pulled away from him, then he would lay beside her as she slept so she would at least feel his presence there.

The bedroom door was locked. He frowned, laid a fist on the heavy oak panel. He could, of course, break it down with a single blow. Instead, he chose to leave her be and went to stand at the study door, staring broodingly into the woods behind the house. It was the first time since they'd been married that they ended the night on opposite sides of the bedroom door.


	5. Chapter 5

**(Author's Note: Yes, I do know that the timelines are all screwy. IRL Lita and Kane could not possibly have a fifteen year old son. But hey, artistic license! But thank you for the commentary and thanks again for reading!) **

A.J. woke the next morning to the bright sunlight streaming through the bedroom window. She rolled over without opening her eyes, throwing one arm across her face and the other on the empty half of the bed. For a moment she felt the familiar disappointment that he wasn't there. Then she remembered she'd locked the door the night before and felt a different sort of disappointment. A lock would never have kept Kane out if he wanted in.

Although she was glad he had decided to leave her alone, a part of her wished he would have broken the door down. She wished he had come in and held her, or yelled at her or thrown things, anything but leaving her alone to stew in her own thoughts.

She couldn't get Lita's words out of her mind. She couldn't reconcile the monster Lita had described with the man who was her husband. But the worst part of it all was she couldn't deny that it was true either. She'd always known that Kane could be a merciless monster. In a perverse way it was part of his appeal. There was just something about knowing that someone capable of such violence loved her so unreservedly.

But he had once loved Lita too. He'd been honest and told her as much. And if what Lita said was true it meant that even his love couldn't protect her from his ultimately sadistic nature, if he ever felt she deserved it.

She rubbed her temples. Her head was pounding.

She drew on a light robe and slowly opened the door. The house was silent.

She quietly padded barefooted to the kitchen and poured a glass of water which she drank in three long swallows. She held the cool glass against her forehead.

She heard a noise from outside, a muffled thumping noise that sounded like it was just outside the kitchen window. She drew the curtains aside and looked out into the yard.

Kane was out there, his back turned to her. She frowned as she tried to see what he was doing. There was a fairly extensive workout room in the basement, with weight machines and cardio equipment, but Kane often liked to improvise workouts that he could do in the fresh air outside. It looked like he was punching something. Had he set up a heavy bag outside?

She slowly walked outside. For once, he didn't even hear her approaching. From behind she could see his shoulders and back running with sweat, his hair was soaked. And he continued to hit over and over again.

Finally, she spoke up, "Kane?"

He froze, then slowly turned his head, breathing hard. The mask was back on.

She stepped closer, "What are you doing?" she asked.

He didn't answer, just looked at her for a moment, then lowered his eyes.

She followed his gaze to his hands and saw blood.

She gasped, "What have you done?" She hurried forward and grasped his hands. His hands were bare; his fingers and knuckles a bloody mess, mangled to a pulp. She looked at the tree and saw there was no padding, no bag. The bare bark of the tree was covered in blood. He'd been punching the tree with his bare fists as hard as he could, over and over again.

"Oh my god! Why are you doing this?" She cried. He yanked his hands away, curled his fingers into fists.

"Kane! Don't!" She said trying to hold his hands. He shrugged her off and turned back to the tree. A.J. flinched as he hit it again. Fresh blood trickled from his knuckles.

"Kane, please!" She pushed herself in front of the tree as he drew back to punch it again. He barely stopped himself from hitting her. She grabbed his bloody fist and brought it up to her face.

"Stop!" She was getting his blood on her face but at the moment she didn't care.

"Stop hurting yourself," she pleaded.

He wouldn't meet her eyes. That was a bad sign. And he wasn't speaking. In the best of circumstances Kane wasn't a vocal man. But when he stopped talking altogether was when he shut her out. And his mask was back on.

That mask, she'd always hated it and now more than ever. It was like the physical symbol of everything that he hid from her.

His kept his head lowered, dark hair hanging in his face,"I'm sorry if I woke you." He said softly.

The dead, hopeless tone of his voice hurt A.J.'s heart. Part of her wanted to wrap her arms around his neck, twine her fingers through his hair and kiss him until they were both out of breath and this wall between them fell down. But the echoes of Lita's words were still in her ears. Could he ever turn his monstrous side on her?

She shook her head,"No, I was already awake. Come into the house. Let me take care of your hands."

He reluctantly allowed her to lead him back to the house and submitted silently as she cleaned and bandaged his mangled hands. The silence between them grew like a living thing until she had to break it or go mad.

"Kane, about last night, I wasn't trying to shut you out. I just had a lot of things to think about."

He remained silent for a heartbeat, then spoke from behind the curtain of his hair,"Tell me the truth of what Lita said to you."

A.J.'s mouth opened in surprise. Kane had a reputation as a think-with-his-fists-before-his-head type of man but every so often he showed just how deep his perception was.

"She-she didn't really say much." A.J. stammered, "Just talked about Luke and what they've been doing during the summer…."

Kane raised his head slightly. She could see the glitter of his eyes through the mask behind his hair,"She didn't speak about me, about our past?"

A.J. shook her head, "No."

Kane continued to look at her, his unblinking gaze boring into her, "Are you telling me the truth?"

A.J. felt the blood rush to her face and knew he could see it. Why was she doing this? Why was she putting what Lita had said before her own husband? She suddenly decided enough was enough. This was Kane. She loved him. He'd once risked death for her. She owed it to him to come clean and let him explain his side of the story.

She started to speak, "Actually she-"

She was interrupted by a loud knock at the door. She and Kane looked at each other, they'd had more visitors in the last two days than they'd had in the past year.

"My son…"Kane said.

A.J. nodded, "Sure. Go answer it."

Kane rose to his feet, flipping his hair out of his face. He crossed to the door in three big strides and pulled it open. But the person standing on the other side was not who he expected. He blinked and then his lip curled into a growl.

"You!"

* * *

"Mom?"

Lita took a drag on her cigarette before turning to look at her son. His hair was tousled and he looked tired as if he'd tossed and turned all night.

"What is it, honey?" She asked brushing his hair back from his forehead. His eyes, one colorless blue, one brown, caught hers and held them.

"Is everything OK?" he asked bluntly.

She gave him a motherly smile, "Of course it is, honey. Why wouldn't it be?"

He shrugged, "I dunno. Just, the fight you got into with Kane's wife last night. Maybe we should back off a little? Give them some space. I don't want to all of a sudden butt in to his life and make it crazy, y'know?"

Lita sighed," Luke, you are his son. You have every right in the world to want to be a part of his life. I understand A.J. is his wife but she'd just going to have to learn to accept you. "

Lucius bit his lip, "I just don't know what happened." He said in confusion. "She seemed real cool when I first met her. I mean she was really nice to me. And then suddenly she does that to you?" he gestured at the livid scratches on Lita's face. "Are you sure you didn't say or do anything to her?"

Lita nodded, "I promise. All I did was make some small talk about you and Kane and she just snapped. Actually…" she lowered her voice, "I think once it really sank in that you're Kane's son she got really jealous. She said something about how she and Kane have been trying for a baby and haven't been able to have one."

Lucius looked confused,"Why would she be jealous though? I'm no threat to her. It just doesn't make sense!"

Lita drew back and looked fondly at her only son. He was so handsome, with his dark red hair and finely chiseled features. It was a shame he had his father's freakish eyes.

"OK, I'm going to tell you the truth about A.J." she said, "But you have to promise not to mention it to her or your father. A.J. is not the most…stable of people. About four years ago, she had a complete and utter mental breakdown. She was nearly institutionalized. Ever since then she's been very fragile mentally. I'm sure that ordinarily, she's a very nice person, but she's been known to do some crazy things. She's always capable of snapping."

Lucius raised his eyebrows, "Really? And my dad is married to her?"

Lita laughed, "Luke, I don't think you need me to point out to you that Kane is not the sanest person in the world either. All I'm saying is, just be careful around A.J. Be polite to her but don't put all your trust in her."

Lucius nodded, "OK, if you say so, Mom."

Lita patted him on the arm, "So, you haven't told me yet, what did you think of your father?"

Lucius pulled a face, "Well…I guess you did warn me. He's still kind of a jerk, but at the same time…he's kind of cool. I mean, how many kids get to say their father is Kane? He does seem to be really interested in getting to know me, now that he's over trying to kill me."

Lita stubbed her cigarette out, "Just give it some time, Luke. Whatever else Kane is, he would never turn his back on you. You're his son and that means more in the world to him than anything. I ought to know."

Lucius looked her carefully in the face, "And what about you, Mom? I know you've always had kinda bad feelings about him. How did you feel about seeing him again?"

Lita looked away, her eyes fixed somewhere off in the trees. "He…brought back a lot of memories." She said simply. Then she shook another cigarette out of the pack, lit it and took a long drag.

* * *

Kane stood at the door, eye to eye with one of the few men in the world who did not fear him.

The visitor filled the doorway. He was as tall as Kane, with icy blue eyes and dark hair that swept back from a devil's peak on his high forehead. His pale skin was shaded by a wide, flat brimmed hat and he wore a long black duster that hung down to his cracked black boots.

A.J. peeked around Kane, her eyes widening as she saw her brother in law standing on their doorstep. The Undertaker was as imposing a figure as if Death himself had come to visit.

"Brother," The Undertaker said in a flat voice, his eyes flicking briefly to A.J. before fixing themselves on Kane. "That is a poor welcome to give me after three years."

Kane's eyes narrowed,"What do you want?" he demanded suspiciously. His brother never brought good tidings.

The Undertaker's thin lips twitched into the semblance of a smile. "For starters, I would like to be able to enter my own home." He took a half step forward, practically within kissing distance of his younger brother. Kane stood his ground for a moment then reluctantly moved aside. The house had belonged to their parents. It was now as much his brother's as it was his own.

The Undertaker ducked through the doorway and gave A.J. a nod,"Sister, I see you are looking well."

A.J. nodded back, gave him a thin smile, "You look...exactly the same." she said. "Can I get you something to drink? Coffee, beer, holy water?"

The Undertaker's eyes flashed with amusement. He'd always thought A.J. a fragile, foolish woman, but she did have her moments.

"No thank you. I haven't come to stay. I've just come to speak with my brother."

A.J. glanced at her husband who was still staring at his brother, "Fine," she said. "I'll give you two some privacy." she reached out and touched Kane's arm, "We'll finish our conversation later, OK?"

Kane nodded.

The Undertaker watcher her walk out of the room,"Have I come at a bad time?" he asked Kane.

Kane shook his head," It is never a good time when you come," he retorted.

The Undertaker crossed his arms over his chest,"Such pessimism, brother. But I see she is still with you. Perhaps I was wrong? I didn't expect the two of you to last so long, especially considering your track record with marriages. Tell, me, do I have any nieces or nephews yet?"

Kane startled at the question, he stared at his brother, wondering what he knew. "You have a nephew." he said finally.

"Ah," Undertaker said with a grin, "You've got it in you after all! Where is the little tyke?"

"He's fifteen years old."

Undertaker's smile disappeared. "I don't understand."

"He's Lita's son," Kane said.

Undertaker's eyes widened,"Lita," he repeated in disbelief,"I thought she had a miscarriage. What is going on, Brother?"

Kane told his brother how he'd come to discover he had a son. The Undertaker shook his head in disbelief.

"That red-haired bitch," he said softly, "I'll never know what you saw in her, Brother. But now that you know, you must claim this boy."

Kane scowled,"No, I will allow him to come to me in his own good time."

"No," The Undertaker said, "He is your son, he must be brought up correctly."

"You will stay out of this!" Kane rumbled, his voice angry,"You won't interfere. I won't have you damage the boy with your...methods. And besides, this has been hard on A.J."

The Undertaker snorted,"What does she have to do with it? This is beyond her. He is your _blood_, she's just some woman you've..."

Kane's fist crashed into The Undertaker's jaw before he even had time to duck. The Undertaker fell back, smashing through the living room table. He looked up as Kane loomed over him, "I've told you before to _never_ speak of my wife in that manner!"

The Undertaker grimaced as he rubbed his jaw. "God damn it Kane," he said, "I'm not here to fight you! And now you've smashed our great grandmother's antique mother-of-pearl table. This thing was over a hundred years old!"

Kane's jaw clenched before he offered his brother an hand and pulled him to his feet,"One more word about my wife and I will smash your head through every piece of furniture in this house." he warned.

The Undertaker raised en eyebrow,"You seem a bit more touchy than usual. Is there something else, other than this revelation of your long lost son?" he looked at the bandages on Kane's hands. Fresh blood had seeped through them.

Kane turned and walked away a few paces, "I don't know," he finally confessed, "Lately, I feel this...almost uncontrollable rage rising in me. I don't know how much longer I can control it. I lost my temper with my son. After I learned the truth about Lucius, I would have killed Lita if she'd come upon me at the wrong instant. I almost...struck A.J."

He cringed at the memory. He would have cut off his own hands if he'd ever hurt his wife.

To his surprise and chagrin his brother roared laughter. He turned and glared as The Undertaker shook his head, wiping tears from his eyes. "You fool!" he said between snorts. "What have I told you time and time again?"

He pointed a long finger at Kane,"Do you think that because you've been playing house with that woman you've changed? You are what you are and what you will always be. You feel this rage because it is your nature. It is part of you and you've tried to suppress it for far too long. Think about it, gentleness, love? That is not and never will be you. You are a _monster_. Embrace it."

Kane clenched his fists, "No! It's not true! You've never wanted me to be happy. But I am. I'm not the same person you made me."

The Undertaker still looked amused, "You're happy, are you?" He grabbed one of Kane's wrists and twisted so he could see the bloody bandages, "You're happy?" he asked again.

Kane wrenched his hand away.

The Undertaker let him go. "You've done this once before and you ended up nearly destroying Lita. Do you want history to repeat itself?"

"This is different," Kane said, "Lita never loved me as I loved her. I made mistakes. I was...wrong to try to force her to love me. A.J. does love me. Of that I am sure."

The Undertaker looked at him with a mixture of pity and disgust, "And how long do you think she will love you when she discovers who you really are?"

Kane grunted," She knows who I am." _did she really?_

He scowled heavily at his brother,"Why are you here anyway? Surely not to analyze my happiness?"

The Undertaker shrugged,"I've actually come to help you...in a way. There is a way you can channel your rage, release a little of your true self without hurting...your wife."

Kane looked at him suspiciously," Are you saying-"

"Come back to the WWE." his brother confirmed.

Kane looked at him with contempt,"That's what this is about? What is this? Have you become Vince McMahon's messenger boy now?"

Undertaker didn't rise to the bait,"You know better than that. Yes, McMahon would like you to make an appearance at the 20 year anniversary of Raw. But I think it can be more. It can be the answer to your problem. Remember how it felt to utterly destroy an opponent? Think of it. We can make our return together. The Brothers of Destruction can once again carve a path of devastation throughout the WWE!"

The prospect was tempting, Kane had to admit. Together, he and his brother were an unstoppable force. But it would mean leaving A.J. for long periods of time, unless she chose to come on the road with him. He didn't know if he was willing to be parted from her for so long.

"Well?" Undertaker asked.

"A.J. She wouldn't want me to be gone for so long," Kane said slowly.

"Bah!" Undertaker said, "She will understand. She led the same life not so long ago. Or if you can't bear to be parted from her, bring her along!"

"No, " Kane shook his head. Even though the thought of teaming with his brother again after so long held its appeal, he had to fix things with A.J. He also had a newly found son to build a relationship with.

"You've grown as soft as that woman of yours!" Undertaker growled,"I will not take no for an answer. One way or another, you will come with me, Brother!"

"What?"

The voice was soft but carried an edge of steel that cut through the air like a sword.

Both Kane and Undertaker turned to see A.J. standing in the doorway. She was so small and fragile, her hair a dark cloud around her delicate face. Her expression, however, was anything but helpless. She stared at Undertaker with a look so ferocious that Kane felt a burning of fierce pride. This was the fire that he remembered in her!

She raised her small chin in the face of Undertaker's glare, undaunted as she demanded "Just where do you think you are taking _my_ husband?"


	6. Chapter 6

The Undertaker turned the full force of his Deadman's glare on A.J. His pale blue eyes bored into her soul with a look that would quail most normal men.

A.J. was not any man and she was not quailed. She was a woman who walked the edge of sanity and this made her fearless in the face of death.

"I asked you a question. Where do you think you're taking Kane?"

The Undertaker's eyes narrowed. "The business between my brother and myself is none of your concern."

A.J.'s dark eyes narrowed, "No. That is where you are wrong. My husband is my only concern." She turned to Kane, "Where does he want you to go? What does he want you to do?"

Kane hesitated. He knew how much A.J. hated anything to do with the WWE. His own memories of his final few months there were less than pleasant. But there was no denying her.

"He wants me to come back with him to the WWE for the 20th anniversary of Raw. He wants us to resurrect the Brothers of Destruction." He paused, waiting for her to explode.

A.J. stood there for a moment, considering as she stared, unblinking, at The Undertaker. Then she inclined her head, "It might not be a bad idea." She said

Kane blinked, stunned, "What?" he said incredulously, "You think returning to the WWE is a good idea?"

A.J. shrugged, "We've kind of been in a rut lately, Kane. Wouldn't you agree? I think a change of pace might be good for us."

Kane's hands clenched, "You once told me you never wanted us to go back to that world again. Is this what we've come to? You want rid of me so badly you want me to go back to that madness?"

A.J. looked back at him patiently,"No, Kane, I'm not trying to get rid of you. I'm just saying, we've been here for three years, doing the same thing day in and day out. Maybe we both need a change, and it doesn't have to be a permanent change. We can go back just for the 20th anniversary Raw, reconnect with old friends. Do you realize I haven't spoken to any of my old friends in almost two years?"

Kane looked at her. Old friends? Didn't she remember he'd never had friends?

"Brother, your woman is right." The Undertaker interjected. "What harm can one show do? Return with me, take your rightful place side by side with me as we show those upstarts what it is to fear again."

Kane looked from his brother to his wife and back again. His brother's expression was as implacable as always. But A.J., she was looking at him as if he were a stranger. A nameless fury rose in him, a sense of betrayal. He had never been at odds with A.J. before. The distance he'd felt growing between them was becoming an uncrossable chasm. Was this then, how the end began?

He bent, picked up half of the destroyed table, turned and flung it through the window of the front room. It gave him perverse pleasure to see A.J. flinch as the glass shattered. He turned and stalked wordlessly out of the house.

A.J. let out the breath she hadn't even realized she'd been holding. The Undertaker turned and gave his sister in law an appraising look.

"And just what are you up to?" he asked.

A.J. looked back at him innocently, "What are you talking about?" she asked.

"Don't play dumb with me," The Deadman retorted, "It's not for my benefit that you want Kane to return to the WWE. Just what game are you playing?"

A.J. tilted her head and gave him a cool look from beneath her lashes,"I don't play games with my husband." she said.

The Undertaker's lip curled,"Be mindful that you never do, woman." he said, "He is a fool, but he is my blood. Cross him and you will invite my wrath."

A.J. barked laughter, "Ironic, coming from you." she said, "Considering you've been the one who's hurt him the most in his lifetime. I've gone to hell and back for Kane. I'm not afraid of the likes of you."

She brushed by the Deadman. She wanted to speak to Kane alone, to explain. Despite her irritation, it hurt her to think that there was this disconnect between herself and Kane. They needed to talk before the wound became unhealable.

She walked outside, gingerly skirting around the broken glass in the front yard. She sighed, she'd learned long ago that living with Kane meant putting up with lots of broken things. She scanned the wide lawn for him. He generally liked to brood down near the dead elm tree at the foot of the drive but he wasn't there.

"Kane?" she called. There was no answer. She walked around the house to the wood shed. He wasn't there either. A suspicion grew in the back of her mind as she ran to the seldom used garage. She and Kane were generally home bodies, rarely leaving the house but they both had cars, she a cute little BMW coupe and he a gigantic black and red pick up truck. She flung open the garage door. The truck was gone. He was gone. Again.

* * *

Kane drove like a man possessed, his foot pushing the gas pedal almost all the way down to the floor. What was happening? Only a week ago, his life had been peaceful, ideal. He and A.J. had been happy. Now everything seemed to be falling apart and he didn't know who to blame. A.J.? His brother? Himself? Who was the one who should burn?

He passed a turnoff in the road and slowed. There was one... He stopped, backed up and turned into the narrow drive.

His son, as much as he'd like to blame the boy, he was the only one who was blameless. If there was one thing his brother was right about it was his son. He was blood. Kane had a duty to him. He drove up to the house, it looked dark and empty in the late afternoon light.

Kane climbed to the front door, his boots making hollow, thumping sounds on the wooden stairs. He raised a fist, hesitated, then pounded on the door. The sound echoed through the house before fading away into silence.

"Lucius isn't home."

He started, turned and saw Lita, sitting on the porch smoking a cigarette. She'd been so still and silent he hadn't even noticed her. She was sitting in an old rocking chair, her feet propped up on the porch railing. A bottle of beer sat by her chair. The ember on the end of her cigarette glowed brightly as she inhaled.

"Lita," he said. He hadn't expected to see her.

"Kane," she deadpanned back at him, blowing her smoke out toward him.

"My son...?" he asked.

"I told you, he isn't here. He went out to see a movie with some friends." Lita stubbed her cigarette out and swung her legs down, standing up. She brushed ashes off the front of her skirt and slowly approached him, thumbs casually hooked through her belt loops.

"Really Kane, there is such a thing as a telephone, you know." she said.

Kane scowled, "I did not, plan this visit. I just...found myself here." he said stiffly.

She brushed a lock of hair behind her ear and leaned on the railing, looking out over the patchy front lawn.

"Trouble in paradise?" she asked.

Kane bristled, jaw clenching as he turned to glower at her but for once there was nothing sarcastic or mocking in her face. Her green eyes were fixed upon his, open and inquiring. His hands twitched imperceptibility before closing on the railing. His knuckles still hurt.

"My brother came to see me." he finally said.

Lita raised her eyebrows, "Ah," she said knowingly. She bent to retrieve her bottle of beer, tipped the last drop into her mouth, then flipped open the lid of a small cooler on the porch. "Beer?" she asked Kane.

Kane shook his head. He knew from experience that he did not mix well with alcohol. Lita shrugged and dipped a cold, dripping bottle from the ice. She twisted off the cap and took a long swig before leaning back on the railing.

"You know, no offense, but I don't think I care much for your brother." Lita remarked. That was an understatement. Lita had always detested the Undertaker.

Kane looked at her side eye. She glanced up at him, trying to keep a straight face before snorting laughter. Kane's lips twitched, it was kind of funny.

"So, what did old dead and creepy want?" Lita asked.

Kane hesitated. "I don't want to burden you with my...troubles," he mumbled uncomfortably. "I should go." He turned to walk down the wooden steps. Lita sighed, reached out and stopped him with a light touch of her hand on his forearm.

"Kane," she said, "stop. Don't you think it's time you and I put all this awkwardness behind us? We went through so much together, we have a son together. I've forgiven you, can't you forgive me?"

Kane looked down at her hand, her earnest face and despite himself, felt his resolve melting, she was the mother of his son. Perhaps it was time to learn how to let go of old grudges. Perhaps by doing so, he could learn how to make A.J. happy again.

"My brother wants me to return to the WWE. He wants to reform the Brothers of Destruction." he finally admitted.

Lita nodded,"I see. And A.J.'s not too hot on the idea, I'm guessing?"

Kane shook his head, "No, A.J. wants to go! She thinks it is a good idea. She thinks we are in a rut, that we need a change." He bowed his head, his hair falling in his face. His voice lowered, "I'm afraid she might mean she needs a change from _me_."

Lita looked at him sympathetically, "Kane, I think you're reading too much into this. A.J. is a young woman, she's...high spirited. You've got her cooped up in that cottage, naturally she's going to get bored."

Kane considered, "Bored with me," he repeated.

Lita rolled her eyes, "No, you big lug," she said. "Just bored with the situation. I don't know many people who can live off in the boonies for years on end and not get bored, especially someone who was used to the fast paced life of touring with the WWE."

"So, you think I should agree to return to the WWE?" Kane said, "Will this make her happy?"

Lita looked up at him, her green eyes meeting and holding his, "Kane, whatever it is that is bothering her, it's not you. I know you...I remember how...invested you can be in your relationships. Have you talked to her?"

Kane shook his head, "I've tried, but she's become distant. It's not the same. Ever since Lucius appeared, she's become different..."

Lita sighed,"Kane," she began, then trailed off, "No...it's not my place..."

"What?" Kane demanded, "Speak!"

Lita bit her lip, "Kane, A.J. told me that you guys have been trying for children, it seems to me it's something that she's wanted very badly."

"Yes," Kane agreed, "A.J. wants a child. She has always wanted a child."

Lita nodded, "Well, don't you see? Luke is your son, it means that you are perfectly capable of fathering children. It means the problem is with her. She hasn't been able to conceive and it's her fault. You're not a woman, Kane, so maybe you don't understand but for a woman, that can be pretty devastating."

Kane shook his head, "But it doesn't matter to me." he protested,"I don't care if we never have children. I love her!"

Lita pressed her lips together,"It doesn't matter," she said softly, "Kane, there was a time I didn't want your child, not at first, but as he grew inside me, I grew to love him and when I lost him..." she paused, swallowed, "And now, at least I have Luke. I can only imagine what it's like to actually want a child so badly and not be able to..."

Kane stared at her, his breath coming faster as a hot, hard ball of an old pain bloomed anew in his chest. Always it seemed as if he was healed only to have the wound ripped open again.

Lita looked especially beautiful today. Her pale, porcelain skin seemed to glow from within. Her hair was lit from behind by the late afternoon sun and spilled down her back like a tumble of living flame. She looked almost exactly as she had when he'd first seen and become captivated by her. Seeing her like this made him remember how much he had once loved her. He had to look away.

"I sometimes think," Lita continued, "that I could have saved him, our son, if I'd let myself love you, just a little. Things would have happened differently and he would be alive today."

Kane was silent. He was never a man for many words and now, at this moment, he couldn't have said anything if his life depended on it. Why was Lita bringing up the past like this? Why, when there was nothing they could do to change it?

"Do you ever have regrets?" She asked in a low voice. "Things you wish you could go back and do over?"

He finally found his voice. "Always," he said, and it was true. Lately, his life seemed to be made of regrets.

She bowed her head, her hair hiding her face. She made a soft sound. He felt his heart wring. Had he made her cry yet again?

He turned to her but before he could speak she'd slipped her arms around his neck and was kissing him. He stiffened in shock, every nerve in his body thrumming like an electric wire.

Then, the wave broke and he wound his arms around her, crushing her to him as he kissed her back. Lita moaned into his mouth as her lips parted beneath his rough and insistent tongue. His hands slid down her back, over her backside, fingers raking her skirt up her hips as he pulled her against him. Her legs wrapped around him as he picked her up and pushed her up against the wall. She ripped at his shirt, buttons popped and went flying off into the darkness. He broke the kiss off, gasping for air and felt her bite his neck. There was nothing romantic or tender in what they were doing. This was pure mindless lust.

In the midst of it all a single coherent thought managed to crash its way into his brain.

_What the hell am I doing?_

Lita was pushing his ripped shirt off of his shoulders, down his arms, her tongue making its way down his chest. She'd never been like this with him, even after she'd lost the baby and they'd been briefly united in their grief, she always bore his touch with a veneer of revulsion. Why was she doing this now? With an inhuman effort, Kane pulled back from her, grabbed her arms and flung her off of him to the porch.

"What do you think you're doing?" He growled.

She sprawled on the floor, looking up at him, panting. Her face was flushed, her hair a wild tousle. Oh god, she looked incredibly appealing.

"Me?" she asked,"Don't lie to yourself, Kane. You want this as much as I do!"

"No!" Kane shook his head wildly, his dark hair falling in his face. He backed away from her. "I love A.J. I don't know what you think you are doing, Lita…"

"I'm trying to correct a mistake I made so many years ago," she said rising gracefully to her feet. She tossed her flaming hair back from her eyes. "I should have never let you go, Kane. I should have loved you back when I had the chance. It should be you and me and our son…"

There once was a time when Kane would have crashed the gates of hell to hear her say such words to him. Once there was nothing he wanted more than to make her want him and love him back as he'd wanted and loved her. But that was then and this was now.

"Now?" he said incredulously,"You wait all these years and tell me this now? I have a _wife_."

Lita laughed, throwing her hands up in the air. "Ah, and _such_ a wife she is. Weak, simpering, half mad. She can't even give you a baby. I know you still feel something for me, Kane." She reached out, grabbed his hand, held it against her stomach. "I can give you what she never will, another child. This time we can do it right, you and I. We can raise our child the way we were meant to and you can be a true father to Luke. We can be a family."

Kane snatched his hand away, "You're crazy!" he growled, "I have a family. A.J. is my family!

"A.J." Lita repeated, "She's not the one for you, Kane. You know this. She's already drifting away from you. She'll be gone before you know it. You need someone who understands you, like I do. You don't have to hide the way you've been hiding with her. You can be yourself. I know you Kane, you're not meant to be this tamed, muzzled thing she's made you. You are a monster, you know this, your brother knows this, hell, even she knows this! Don't fight it, Kane!"

She grabbed his hand again, held it against her heart. He could feel it beating wildly, matching his own. What was she doing? She ran her free hand through his hair, pressing her body against his. She was taller than A.J., he could feel her every inch mold against him. No, this wasn't right...

They heard a screeching of tires as a BMW roared up the driveway and came to a squealing stop next to his truck.

A.J.

Kane flung Lita away from him again but it was too late.

The driver door was open, she'd stepped out, frozen.

Her eyes took in Lita's disheveled hair and clothes, Kane's torn shirt, the red of Lita's lipstick still smeared on his lips.

Her eyes met Kane's, her anger, hurt and reproach boiling over.

Wordlessly, she lunged back into her car. Smoke churned from beneath her tires as she slammed the car into reverse and pealed out.

"A.J.!" Kane bellowed leaping down the steps.

"Kane!" Lita jumped to her feet and clutched at his arm, "Wait! Let her go!"

He pushed her away savagely. He wanted to kill her but he didn't have the time.

"I love _her." _he snarled and hurled himself into his truck, taking off after his wife.

Lita stood on the porch, watching him go. Her beautiful face was contorted in anger, her hands clenched so hard into fists that her nails left bloody gouges in her palms.


	7. Chapter 7

The little Beamer's engine screamed as A.J. red lined it, tearing down a road she could barely see through her tears. The dark clouds that had been gathering all afternoon seemed to mirror her distress as fat raindrops began to splatter on the windshield.

Kane and Lita. Lita and Kane. The image of the two of them together was burned like a brand into her brain. Closing her eyes she could still see them, flushed, clothes ripped and looking down at her with faces guilty as sin.

The steering wheel rumbled in her hand and her eyes flew open. The car was wandering over the shoulder of the road. She yanked the wheel to the left, swerving slightly before bringing it back to the pavement. The rain was coming down harder now, water sluicing over the windshield. Hands shaking, she thumbed the lever for the windshield wipers.

Bright headlights splashed in her rearview mirror. She squinted, looked back and saw Kane's truck, as dark and massive as himself, following right on her tail. Over the drumming of the rain, she could hear a horn blare out. She fixed her eyes on the road ahead of her, her mouth set in a grim line, shaking her head even as tears continued to course down her cheeks.

Kane, how could he betray her? She'd gone to find him, to apologize, to mend the terrifying gulf that had opened up between them in the last week. There had really been no looking for him, there was only one place he could be. And she'd driven up the long pitted driveway with words of atonement on her tongue. And then she'd seen them, kissing….no…._mauling_ each other.

She felt like she'd been hit in the chest by a sledgehammer. The words she was going to say turned to ashes in her mouth. All she wanted was to get out of there, get away from _him._

And that was easier said than done. She glanced up in the rear view mirror again and saw he was still right behind her. She thought she could see him, waving at her through the wind shield. She stomped on the gas pedal, slamming it all the way to the floor. She saw with some satisfaction, his headlights receding. No way his gas guzzler could keep up with her nimble little Beamer. She didn't care what he had to say to her, she wasn't hearing it. He'd proven himself just like every other man, faithless, cheating.

But even as she repeated the mantra in her head, her heart ached. Could she blame him, really? Lita was the mother of his son and she was strong, beautiful, exotic. She made A.J. feel like a plain little mouse in her presence. What could she, little geeky A.J. Lee, really offer Kane? She was little, weak, insignificant and prone to bouts of…well…mental instability. Given a choice, why would he choose her over Lita?

Headlights again flooded her mirror. She cursed under her breath as she saw him looming again in her rearview mirror. Why wouldn't he just leave her alone?

Too late she saw the sharp bend in the road. She gasped as she slammed on the brakes and jerked the steering wheel. Her wheels locked as the car skidded sideways, hit a large puddle and went crashing through the guardrail and down the embankment. A.J. stood on the brakes, gripping the wheel so tightly her knuckles turned white. She was thrown back and forth, her stomach lurched into her throat as the little car crashed through scrub and underbrush.

"Oh god!" she squealed as she looked through the windshield straight at the oncoming trunk of an enormous tree. She tried to shield her head and face but the car slammed into the tree, her head slammed into the windshield and everything went black.

* * *

Kane slammed on his brakes an instant before A.J.'s car hit the railing, sending his truck into a tire smoking slide. The truck did a complete 180 and ended up diagonally across both lanes of the road. Kane watched, horrified and helpless as A.J.'s car smashed through the guardrail and disappeared over the drop. He spilled out of the truck, slipping on the wet pavement and landing hard on his knees. He staggered over to the shoulder and the splintered remains of the railing just as a bone rending crash came echoing up the slope

"A.J.!" He screamed. The rain pounded down in torrents, he was drenched in an instant, his dark hair plastered against his skull. Heedless of his own safety, he hurled himself over the edge, half sliding, half tumbling down the steep hill. Broken branches and churned earth led him to the car, crunched and smoking, the hood crumpled against a tree like an accordion. He clawed at the driver's door, it was stuck fast. He balled his fists and slammed them into the driver's window. Once, twice, he felt a sharp, agonizing pain run through his right hand and ignored it as he punched the window a third time. It shattered. He could see her dark hair, the slender curve of her neck.

"A.J.!" He reached in, shook her gently, her head rolled bonelessly. He pulled her limp body from the wreckage, cradling her head against his chest. Something hot trickled down his wrist. He looked at his hand. It was full of blood.

"NO!" he roared, clutching her to him, rocking her back and forth. She was unresponsive. He couldn't even tell if she was still breathing. Her hair was matted with blood. Rain ran into his mask, flooded his eyes as he threw his head back and howled in primal agony.

Headlights flashed over the embankment. A moment later a tall, flashlight wielding figure appeared, tentatively sliding down the hill.

"Hey! Is someone down here? Has there been an accident? Is someone hurt?"

Kane squinted as the flashlight shined directly in his face.

"K-ane?" the voice was familiar. The flashlight bobbed. Incredibly, it was his son, Lucius. The boy's eyes widened as he took in the wrecked car and A.J's limp form.

"Kane? Oh my god. Is she OK? W-what happened?" He stammered.

"Help her!" Kane bellowed.

Lucius gulped, "I'll call for help! S-stay right there!" He climbed back up to his car to call for help on his cell phone.

* * *

There was a masked, seven foot monster in their midst, pacing back and forth like a caged beast. He was soaking wet, dripping water on the faded yellow linoleum, his boots leaving muddy tracks on the waiting room floor, but no one dared approach him to ask him to wipe his feet. The hospital staff whispered nervously amongst themselves. God help them if something happened to this monster's pretty little wife. He carried with him an air of barely contained rage that had driven all but one brave young man out of the room. He was like a ticking time bomb, about to explode.

Lucius sat in a waiting room chair, scrunching down to make himself as small and unnoticeable as possible as he watched his father pace back and forth. He had a magazine open, but unread in his hand. Lucius felt like he'd been watching a film where half of a reel had been cut, one moment he'd been driving home from the movies, the next he'd nearly collided with a truck abandoned across two lanes. He found Kane and A.J. at the bottom of that hill, her car crashed into the tree. He'd called an ambulance and then gone back down to check A.J's vitals. For an instant, as he tried to coax his father into letting her go and laying her down on the ground, he thought Kane was going to put a massive fist through his face, but then he'd relented as Lucius checked her pulse. Her heartbeat was weak and thready but there. He was more worried about her head wound where she'd smashed into the windshield.

A doctor stepped into the room, "Mr. uh... Kane?" he said, glancing at Lucius then turning to Kane.

Kane spun around, towered over the little doctor. "How is my wife? I want to see her." he demanded.

The doctor looked up..up..up at Kane and gulped. "Uhm...your wife is stabilized, Mr. Kane." he said nervously. "She's got a broken leg, some head and neck injuries, but she will pull through. And you'll be happy to know that the baby is fine. We did a ultrasound to be sure and everything looks top notch."

Kane froze, his mismatched eyes pinning the doctor to the spot, "Baby?" he repeated.

"Uh, yes, " the doctor said, "You did know...? Your wife is about six weeks pregnant."

Lucius's mouth dropped open. Baby? Was he going to be a big brother?

Several conflicting emotions seemed to cross Kane's face before he said in a rather unsteady voice, "I want to see her."

The doctor nodded,"Yes, but only for a few minutes. She's in and out of consciousness and she needs her rest."

* * *

Kane slowly pushed the door open and stood for a moment, staring at his love. She was small, dainty, like a butterfly, especially when she skipped around like a little girl, her glossy hair trailing behind her like gossamer wings. Now she looked like a butterfly whose wings had been pulled off. She was hooked up to half a dozen monitors, tubes went into her arms. A huge bandage was wrapped around her head, he couldn't tell if they'd had to shave part of her hair or not. Her neck was immobilized by a brace.

A bolt of pain shot up his arm as he clenched his fist against his leg. He knew he'd probably broken his hand smashing the car window open but that was the least of his concerns. Seeing A.J. like this scoured his soul. He took a deep breath and approached the bed. Her eyes were closed, her face pale and puffy beneath the scrapes and bruises. He reached out, touched the curve of her cheek with one trembling finger.

Her eyes fluttered open, focused on his face. He braced himself for her anger, her hurt, the accusations. He would have to face them sooner or later and he knew he deserved every bit. But her eyes, when they met his, filled with the gentle love and trust he remembered of old.

"K-kane?" she whispered.

"A.J." Kane breathed.

"What happened? Are you alright?" She asked.

"There was an accident." Kane said, "You were hurt. Don't you remember?"

A.J furrowed her brow, "No...I can't remember anything." she said, frowning a little, "The last thing I remember is talking with you and your brother about going back to the WWE, and then I wake up here. Did I...Kane? Kane?"

She trailed off as her husband fell to his knees beside her hospital bed. He clutched at her as he buried his face in the front of her hospital gown. His shoulders shook. A.J. helplessly stroked his damp hair, bewildered. Was it possible, her husband who'd once been called monstrous, soulless, a demon, was actually...crying?

When he finally raised his head, his eyes were red, though his face was mostly dry. "I thought I'd lost you," he said hoarsely.

"Oh, Kane" A.J. whispered,"I'm still here."

He nodded, entwining his fingers with hers. A.J. reached out, touched the mask, "Let me see your face, so I know I'm awake and you're really here. Please, before they make you leave?"

He closed his eyes as she slipped her fingers beneath the edge of the mask, pushing it up off of his face. She trailed her fingertips over his cheeks, the bunched skin, the old scars. He didn't know what she saw in his ravaged features but she smiled. "I love you, Kane."

He brought her small fingers to his lips, "I love you, A.J."

Her hand slowly fell as she lay back and closed her eyes, exhausted from the effort.

"Sir?" a soft voice said from the doorway. He pulled the mask back down and glanced over to see a nurse poking her head in the room. "She really needs her rest now. You can visit her again in the morning."

Kane nodded as he rose to his feet. He pulled the blanket a little more securely under her chin then turned and left the room.

Outside the room he approached the doctor,"Doc," he said, "Her memory, why can't she remember anything about the accident?"

The doctor cleared his throat, trying to be as professional as possible in the face of this masked giant." She's suffered a rather serious head trauma, Mr. Kane. Partial memory loss of the events surrounding the accident is quite common and nothing to be alarmed about."

Kane studied the doctor, his mismatched eyes gauging his sincerity,"Will she ever get those lost memories back?"

The doctor shrugged,"Only time will tell. Oftentimes the brain protects itself from traumatic events by erasing the very memory of those events. It's quite possible she never remembers the accident."

"Or the events leading up to it?" Kane pressed.

The doctor looked at him warily, "Well, it's possible she could have lost a few hours or even several days, depending on how severe the injury to her brain."

"I see," Kane said, "Thank you Doc."

He pulled a chair over next to A.J's door. He sat, his long legs reaching almost completely across the narrow hall. The doctor considered telling him it was against hospital policy to have family loitering in the hall after visiting hours but wisely decided that was Security's problem and walked off to do his evening rounds.

Kane leaned his head against the wall and closed his eyes. She didn't remember. That had to be a blessing, right?

He felt a profound sense of relief. He'd been given a chance to redeem himself, to undo the terrible mistake he'd made. And on top of that...

An involuntary smile touched his lips. A baby!

"Kane?"

His eyes flew open at that voice. How dare she...!

He leapt out of the chair so fast it tipped backward and fell over with a loud clatter. Lita's eyes barely had time to register her alarm before he wrapped his hand around her throat and slammed her back against the wall. He knocked the wind out of her, her head thumped against the plaster hard enough to make her see stars. He thrust his face up against hers, nose to nose. His hot breath churned in her face.

"What the hell do you think you're doing here, you bitch!" He rasped.

Lita did not struggle, she kept her arms at her side, her green eyes slitted with pain as his fingers dug onto the soft skin of her throat. He could feel the bones in her slender neck, all he had to do was squeeze...

"Kane," she wheezed, "I came to...apologize..."

His upper lip curled as he imperceptibly applied more pressure to her throat, then with a enraged grunt, he dropped her and turned stomping down the hall.

She staggered, trying to keep her feet, hacking and coughing, watching him as he abruptly turned and flung his dark hair out of his face.

"You came to apologize?" he said between gritted teeth. "After what you tried to do, you think I am interested in your apologies?"

She held up a hand, "Kane, stop" she wheezed, "I'm sorry about A.J.! It shouldn't have happened. I was drinking, I was drunk! I don't even know what I was thinking!"

Kane glared at her "You were drunk? Are you sure you don't love me? You don't want us to be a family?"

Lita winced,"Oh god, look Kane, I have no idea why I said those things, OK? I was just sitting on the porch, minding my own business and you come roaring up to my house. And for once, you weren't being an asshole, you talked to me and I felt like I could talk to you. I..." she shook her head, "I don't know, OK? But the kissing and the ...you know... that was definitely the beer."

Kane crossed his arms over his broad chest, eyes narrowed, "It was all just the beer? So I should have just gotten you drunk fifteen years ago and things would have turned out differently?" he asked sarcastically.

Lita groaned,"Look, it's not like you weren't kissing me back and putting your hands all over my ass! Hmmmppff!"

Kane slapped a hand over her mouth, shooting a glance at A.J.'s door,"Lower your voice!" he hissed.

Lita pried his hand off her face, "Kane, my point is, I don't think either of us meant what happened. God knows, I didn't! And that's what I'm here to tell A.J. I'm going to make it right! I'm here to tell her that she doesn't have to worry, it was all just me getting wasted and jumping the first guy that came my way and it just happened to be you. I'm sure with her opinion of me, she'll have no trouble buying that."

Kane straightened up, even behind the mask she could see his alarmed expression, "No! You will never speak to her of it, ever!"

Lita's brow furrowed, "What? Kane, I don't understand?"

Kane's lips pressed together in a grim line, "She doesn't remember us together. The accident, she has no memory of what she saw. And that is how it will remain."

Lita's mouth opened, as if to protest, but then she seemed to change her mind, "Well...OK.. I guess that makes things easier. So the only people who knows what happened is the two of us."

"Yes,"Kane took a menacing step toward her, "And you will tell no one!"

Lita held up her hand,"OK, ok. It's in the vault, I take it to my grave...uh, figuratively speaking..."

"Mom?"

Kane and Lita turned to see Lucius coming down the hall carrying two steaming cups.

"Luke, " Lita said, giving her son a a hug. "I came to see how A.J. was doing, but I guess visiting hours are over."

Luke nodded, "Yeah, how is she doing anyway?" he asked Kane.

Kane gave him a curt nod, "She will live." He said stiffly. He saw his Luke blink at his brusqueness and floundered, attempted to soften his tone. "Thank you...my son. You may have saved her life."

Luke smiled crookedly, "I didn't really do much. I just happened to be there at the right time. Oh, here, I didn't know if you like cream or sugar..." he handed Kane one of the cups of black coffee. Kane accepted it awkwardly, his right hand would no longer close all the way.

Luke noticed his swollen, fingers. "Hey, you need to get a doctor to look at your hand!" he exclaimed.

"It's fine," Kane said, thrusting the hand behind him.

Lita turned to Kane with a big, artificial smile, "Well, I guess, I'm going to go home, then. Luke, are you coming with?"

Luke looked from his mother to the Kane who had picked up the chair and sat back down. "Are you going to stay here all night?" he asked Kane.

Kane nodded.

Luke looked at Lita,"Uhm, if it's OK, Mom. I think I'll keep Kane company."

Lita raised her eyebrows in surprise, "All night? Are you sure?"

"Yeah, I think maybe he could use the company."

Lita glanced at Kane and shrugged, "Fine, suit yourself. I'll see you in the morning."

"OK, bye Mom." Luke bit his lip as he glanced at Kane, who was sitting as still and silently as a statue. After a moment, he grabbed his own chair and sat next to his father.

Kane cracked the knuckles of his uninjured hand, waiting, expecting the boy to want to _talk_. But he was silent, sipping his coffee and when it was gone crossing his arms and sitting stoically, staring at the wall across from them. Little by little, Kane relaxed. He glanced over at Luke to find the boy looking back at him. They exchanged nods and went back to staring at the wall.

And though not another word passed between the two of them throughout that seemingly endless night, somehow having his son sit vigil next to him made Kane feel a little bit better.


	8. Chapter 8

Black roses.

They were the first thing she saw when she opened her eyes and the only thing she recognized in the sterile white hospital room.

A.J. raised her head a little but then let it fall back to the pillow with a wince. She felt horrible, every bone and muscle in her body ached and she had a splitting headache. For a moment she wondered where she was, what was she doing here? But then it came back to her. She'd had an accident.

Almost on cue, the door opened and Kane entered, ducking his head under the door jam. He saw A.J., awake, watching him and rushed to the bedside.

"A.J.!" He knelt by the bed and picked her hand up, his massive paw engulfing her small delicate one. She smiled and gave his hand a weak squeeze.

"Hi there," she said, "I guess I'm not going to be driving for Nascar anytime soon, huh? People have always told me I was a terrible driver."

She smiled at him, expecting at least a twitch of the lips from her stoic husband. But to her puzzlement a strangely guilty expression crossed his face before he bowed his head and brought her hand to his face.

"I'm just glad you are going to be OK." He said hoarsely.

A.J. bit her lip. God, when was she going to grow up and stop making her poor husband worry about her? "I'm sorry, Kane." she said contritely, "I know I'm such a pain in the ass. I'm always getting myself into trouble. Did I total the car?"

Kane raised his head and met her eyes. "Don't worry about the car. I'll get you another car."

A.J. sighed, "But I liked that car….I just don't know what I was thinking. I can't believe I drove it over the side of the road."

Kane shook his head, "A.J. stop. All that matters is you are all right. And there's something else."

A.J.'s looked at Kane with some concern at the serious tone of his voice, "Oh my God, I didn't hit someone, did I? I didn't hurt someone else?"

"No," Kane caught her eyes with as intense a look as she'd ever seen from him.

Her breath caught in her throat, "What-?"

"The doctor…when I spoke to him last night, he told me that they did an ultrasound…"

A.J. frowned, "An ultrasound…? Why?"

"For the baby, A.J. You're carrying a baby, our baby."

A.J. blinked, for a moment not sure if she'd heard correctly. Then she saw Kane smile and he slid his hand down over her stomach, "Our baby," he repeated.

A.J. burst into tears. Kane awkwardly drew her to his chest, not sure exactly how to hold her without hurting her.

"Is he OK? Did I hurt him?" she sobbed.

"He's fine," Kane soothed, "They say he or she is perfect." He held her until her tears tapered off. She swiped at her eyes with the back of her hand.

"A baby," she said in the tones of a woman who can't believe this is happening. "Oh my God, a baby!" She threw herself at Kane, wrapping her arms around his neck and kissing his face over and over. He laughed, a sound he didn't make very often but her joy was infectious.

She drew back and looked at him, her eyes glowing with such happiness that she looked beautiful, despite the bandages and scrapes and bruises.

"Are you happy?" she asked.

"Very happy," he replied.

She grinned, "Oh my God, a baby! We're going to have to turn the study into a nursery!"

There was a knock at the door and before Kane could answer it, A.J. sang out "Come in!"

The door opened, Lita entered. She was carrying a large flower arrangement. She paused when she saw Kane.

"Oh, Lita," A.J. said taken aback.

Lita smiled apologetically, "Uhm, I'm sorry. It looks like you two are having a private moment. I can come back later."

A.J. glanced at Kane who was glaring at the red haired Diva. She put a hand on his arm, "No, it's OK, Lita. Come in."

Lita nodded and came in, closing the door behind her. She placed the flowers on the counter. They were a cheerful arrangement of dyed daisies with a colorful Mylar balloon that said 'Get Well Soon!'

"I didn't know what kind of flowers you liked, so…"Lita waved at the flowers.

"Oh, they're beautiful," A.J. said, "Thank you." There was an awkward silence as the three of them stared at each other.

Finally, Lita spoke."Listen, A.J. I feel terrible."

A.J. felt Kane stiffen and shot an inquiring glance at him. "What for, Lita?" she asked warily.

Lita sighed,"I was a real bitch the other night. I was way out of line saying some of the things I did. I totally deserved what you did to me. I just…it kills me to think that I might have upset you. I took something out on you that I never should have. I just want to apologize."

A.J. studied Lita. The woman certainly looked sincere. In fact, her sad expression suggested that the rest of her life would be ruined if A.J. did not forgive her. A.J. relented, gave her a small smile. Maybe she could understand Lita's bitterness.

"It's OK, Lita. I forgive you."

Lita smiled in relief, "Thank you, A.J. When I heard you were in this accident and I thought I might never get a chance to tell you I was sorry…"

A.J. shook her head, "It's OK. I understand."

Lita nodded her head, "I so want us to be friends. And not just for my son's sake. Can we just start over and be friends?"

Kane broke in, "I don't think A.J. needs you as a friend." He said bluntly.

A.J. shot him a look, "Kane! That's mean! She's the mother of your son. Yes, we can be friends, Lita."

Kane curled his lip, breathing hard but said nothing else.

Lita ignored him, "Thank you A.J. I just don't want any kind of weirdness between us, you know. "

"Sure," A.J. said.

Lita took a deep breath, "Well, I am really glad to see you looking so good, A.J. I'll get out of you guy's hair. "She gave A.J. a smile, Kane a little wave and left.

No sooner had the door closed than Kane turned to A.J. "I don't want you spending time with that woman."

A.J. looked at him patiently,"Oh, what harm can it do? I mean, she really seemed like she was sorry. And she is Luke's mom, better to be on good terms with her, right? Unless…" she cocked her head, "There's some actual reason to stay away from her? She's not like, dangerous or anything is she?"

Kane looked at her for a moment, then dropped his eyes,"No," he muttered.

A.J. said, "Oh, I know you don't like her. But it's not like she's going to be my BFF. We're not going to have like sleepovers or anything."

Kane grumbled under his breath but A.J. just laughed. "Cheer up." She teased,"We're having a baby!"

And at that, Kane had to smile.

* * *

Luke was walking down the hall toward A.J.'s room when the temperature seemed to drop fifteen degrees. The hairs on the back of his neck rose like the hackles of a dog. What the heck was going on?

There was a small puff of mist from around the corner. The next moment a man who looked like he belonged in a zombie western turned the corner, seeming to appear out of thin air.

The man was tall, almost as tall as Kane, with pale skin and pale blue eyes glaring down from beneath a flat rimmed hat. His long, dark coat swirled on some unseen breeze around his dusty boots. Luke felt his jaw drop open, his feet were frozen to the floor. He didn't think he could move if he tried.

The mysterious apparition stood, blocking his path and scrutinizing him from head to toe before speaking in the low rumbles of a man freshly emerged from the grave.

"You are Lucius?"

Oh god, Luke thought, he knows my name. This, then, must be death and it was his time to go.

"Y-y-yes," Luke stammered.

"Hmmmmm," the man said in disgust, "You have the look of your mother. I am your uncle. I am The Undertaker."

"You're an u-undertaker?" Luke squeaked. OK, maybe that made sense. After all this was a hospital and someone had to deal with the dead bodies, right?

The man scowled. Thunderclouds seem to gather in the hall. "No! I am not _an_ undertaker. I am THE UNDERTAKER!"

Luke had never been so close to pissing himself since he was three when another voice spoke from behind him.

"Brother, must you always insist on a melodramatic entrance?"

Luke turned and saw Kane looking at the undertaker, no wait, THE UNDERTAKER, with an exasperated expression.

The Undertaker glanced at Kane, "I don't know what you mean, brother." He replied.

Luke, for once, was absurdly grateful for Kane's presence." This is your brother?" he gasped.

Kane nodded, "Yes, he is my older brother, and your…uncle."

"Oh," Luke stuck his hand out, "Nice to meet you, uh…sir."

The Deadman ignored the hand, instead staring Luke in the eyes, "He looks like her. I thought you said he had your eyes," he said to Kane.

Before Kane could answer Luke spoke up,"Uhm, it's...colored contact lenses, blue so they don't look so freaky...uh I mean...you know..." he flushed and looked over at Kane whose own freaky eyes held something akin to irritated amusement.

The Undertaker nodded, "I see. I am pleased that you found your father."

Luke shrugged, "I just wanted to meet him, you know..."

"Of course," The Undertaker said, "It is natural. Blood calls to blood. We all yearn to know the face of our father, isn't that right, Kane?"

Kane looked at his brother sullenly."Yes, I suppose we do." He said.

A thin smile graced The Undertaker's lips, "But I am pleased to meet my nephew. And how is your step mother?"

Luke looked over at Kane, "I think she's going to be OK. She's got some broken bones but, nothing life threatening."

The Undertaker nodded, "I would go in to see her but I do not think she would appreciate a visit from me." He told Kane.

"No, she would not," Kane agreed, "Why are you here?"

"I have come to tell you I am leaving for a time. I will return when it is time for us to return to the WWE."

Kane shook his head, "I've already told you, I'm not returning."

The Undertaker brushed this off as some minor annoyance, "So you say but when the time comes, you will come with me."

Kane crossed his arms over his chest, "I have other obligations."

The Undertaker snorted,"What, your wife? Surely her injuries are lesson enough for her to stop behaving so recklessly? If not put her in a strait jacket and bring her with you."

Luke could sense Kane's mounting rage and couldn't really blame him. If someone talked crap about his wife he'd be pissed too. And A.J. was pretty cool, even if his mom said she was kinda crazy.

"He has to take care of her, she's pregnant!' Luke blurted. The Undertaker's eyebrows rose as Kane turned and glared at Luke. Luke clapped a hand over his mouth. Oops, maybe he shouldn't have said anything. "sorry," he muttered to his father.

"Is this true?" The Undertaker asked Kane. One look at his furious face confirmed what he wanted to know.,"Ah, I see. So she is not as useless as I'd thought. Congratulations, brother. Your family is growing." He chuckled, turned and walked away.

Luke looked at his father out of the corner of his eye, "Sorry," he said again in a small voice, "I shouldn't have said anything."

Kane glowered at him before turning and walking to A.J.'s room. Luke meekly followed.

A.J. was sitting up on bed, her back propped up by a pile of pillows. When she saw Luke she smiled in welcome.

"Hi Luke! I hear I owe you my life!" she said.

Luke felt his ears turn red in embarrassment. "I didn't really do anything. Just called the ambulance,"he said. He felt bad as he looked at her. Her face was all bruised and puffy and she had a huge, bloodstained bandage wrapped around her head. But she looked happy, all smiles.

"How do you feel?" he asked.

"Like I got hit in the head with a sledgehammer," she said cheerfully. "Did you hear the news?"

Luke nodded,"Yeah, you're going to have a baby."

A.J. laughed,"Yes and that means you're going to be a big brother. How do you feel about that?"

Luke shrugged,"OK, I guess."

A.J. reached out and grabbed his hand,"Luke, I don't want you to feel weird, OK? You are part of our family now. I want you to be a part of your baby brother or sister's life. You are always welcome."

Luke smiled. He had to admit, as a stepmother, A.J. was pretty cool. "Thanks." he said and genuinely meant it.

He looked at his watch, "Well, I've got to go home. Mom's probably ready to send the militia out after me."

"Luke," A.J. said, "Thank you, really. I mean it." She pulled him to her and gave him a big hug. He stiffened in surprise for a moment, then hugged her back.

* * *

Luke whistled as he walked in the front door. All in all he felt pretty good. A.J. was going to be OK, his father seemed to accept him and he'd even met his rather odd uncle. He looked around the house for his mother. The house was dark. It belonged to friends of his mother who used it as as summer cottage and still didn't really seem like home.

"Mom?" he looked out on the back porch. He could see her sitting on an old rocking chair, looking out over the woods behind the house. He could tell from the set of her shoulders that she was unhappy.

"Mom?" he opened the door and walked up behind her. She looked up at him and smiled, but the smile didn't reach her eyes.

"Hi, honey," she said, giving him a kiss on the cheek.

"Are you OK?" Luke asked. He eyed the small pile of cigarette butts next to her chair. His mom always smoked like a train when she was stressed.

Lita shrugged,"Oh, I'm fine. Just a little tired. Did you visit A.J.?"

Luke nodded, "Yeah, she seems like she's going to be OK."

"Hmmmm," Lita said, "It's crazy that you were the one to find them last night."

Luke nodded,"I know, I'm glad I was. I don't think Kane has a cell phone. They might not have been able to get an ambulance there in time."

"Wow, what a lucky coincidence you were there," Lita said. There was a strange bitterness in her voice that made Luke look at her sharply.

"Mom? What the heck is wrong?" he demanded.

Lita took a deep breath and gave him a stiff smile, "Nothing honey. I'm just concerned about you. I'm glad that A.J. is going to be OK. but this accident is just another example of how unstable she can be. I heard that she was driving like a mad woman, she got mad at your father for something and just took off. It's just a lucky thing that she didn't kill someone else."

Luke was confused,"But mom, that was just an accident. How the heck does that have anything to do with me?"

Lita looked fondly at her son, tall like his father, red haired like her. "It didn't this time, but you never know what she is capable of. Oh, Luke, I know she seems really nice, she can be. But even nice people can have mental breaks. It's happened before. I just don't want you to get too close and get hurt. I know you're getting to know your father and that is OK. But that doesn't mean she's always going to be there. She and I talked that night she attacked me and do you know what set her off? The fact that you were my son. One minute we were talking about how she hasn't been able to get pregnant, I said something about how I was glad I had you and then she went nuts." She gestured at the fading scratched on her cheek.

Luke brightened,"Well, maybe she'll feel better now that she and Kane are going to have a baby!?"

Lita sat straight up, the color drained from her face, "What?" she gasped.

Luke nodded,"Yeah," he continued blithely, completely missing his mother's reaction. "They found out she's pregnant and she even told me she wants me to be a part of my brother or sister's life."

Lita barely heard him. A.J. was pregnant? She felt a tight knot in her gut. Why? Why now?

"Mom? Mom!"

Lita blinked and looked at her son. "What?"

"Mom, I said you need to be nice to her, OK? She's been nice to me. Please, just try?"

"Of course." Lita said numbly, "Of course I will. For you honey."

But her mind churned madly as she wondered just how she was going to handle this new bump in her road.


	9. Chapter 9

A.J. crossed her arms petulantly and shook her head.

"No," she said firmly, "absolutely not!"

The orthopedist frowned as he looked at his stubborn patient, "This is a matter of whether or not you will be able to walk again. You suffered a compound, comminuted mid-shaft fracture of your right tibia. Your fibula is in 3 pieces. If you don't have surgery your leg will never heal correctly. You will be in constant pain. Your right leg will most likely be shorter than your left leg and it is doubtful you will be able to walk normally, if at all."

A.J. looked at the doctor as she if were dealing with the most obtuse human being on the planet. "I said no. I am not risking my baby's health with surgery."

The doctor tried again, "I understand your concern but we will take utmost precautions to protect the health of your baby. This is a very, very low risk surgery."

"But there are risks," A.J. pointed out, "I don't care how low the risks are, I'm not having surgery. Maybe after the baby is born but not before!"

The doctor turned to Kane, trying a last ditch effort to appeal to him

"Mr. Kane, please, will you talk to your wife? This is a decision that could affect her for life."

Kane didn't even bother. He'd seen the stubborn 'fuck you' expression on her face and knew he'd never budge her from her decision.

"She has made her choice." He said. He tilted his head as he gave the doctor an extra hard stare from behind his mask and the curtain of his hair. "And you will respect it."

The doctor paled as he took a step back, bumping into the wall behind him, "Yes, of course. Well, I'll let the attending doctor know. I hope you have a speedy recovery Ms. A.J."

He hastily left the room.

A.J. fell back to her pillow, looking tired and drained. Her doctor had assured her she would be released that afternoon. She'd been here for over two weeks and she was more than ready to go home. "They can cut my leg off after the baby is born for all I care but I'm not going under anesthesia, or having surgery, especially not this early in my pregnancy." she grumbled.

Kane smiled, despite himself. She was so cute when she was feisty, like a kitten with its claws out.

A.J. saw the smile and scowled in irritation,"Hey, don't laugh at me! Who do you think is going to have to carry me around until I can walk again?"

Kane suddenly bent and scooped her up from the bed with a speed and ease that took her breath away. She reflexively threw her arms around his neck as his massive arms cradled her like a child. Her heart pattered into an adrenaline fueled sprint. God, she'd never get over how strong he was.

He leaned his masked forehead softly against hers, locking his eyes, one dark and smoldering, the other light and glacial, with her deep brown ones.

"I would carry you to the ends of the earth," he growled.

Tears sprung into her eyes. She felt like her heart was going to explode with the sudden rush of love she felt for him. She pulled his head down to her, kissing him hard, her nose mashing against his. He kissed her back, gently at first but quickly increasing to such hot intensity that she began to wonder if they could lock the room door and if her hospital bed could hold the weight of two.

"Uhm hmmmmm!"

Kane pulled back reluctantly. A.J. discreetly wiped her lips as she peeked over his shoulder to see the duty nurse standing in the doorway, hands on her hips. She was a tall woman, with thick legs and shoulders like a linebacker.

"Ms. A.J. you are not supposed to be out of your bed!" she admonished sternly.

A.J. gave her a guilty grin, "I'm sorry Nurse Potts. I'm just so sick of that bed. I'm starting to get bedsores! Besides, I'm scheduled to be released today."

"Well, until your doctor officially releases you, in that bed you're going to stay, young lady. Now, put her back please, sir!" She crossed her arms and watched like a hawk as Kane laid A.J. back in the bed and arranged a mound of pillows beneath the cast on her right leg.

Nurse Potts bustled around, taking A.J.'s blood pressure and pulse. As she brushed by Kane, who stood awkwardly in the room, she slapped a large plastic water jug in his hand.

"Here, make yourself useful and get her some more water." She commanded.

Kane eyed the water jug then the nurse, eyes narrowing and head tilting. But she merely flapped her hands at him, "Ice and water, down the hall. Go on!"

Kane blinked at her matter of fact attitude, confused at her lack of fear. Then he obediently turned and ducked through the doorway to fetch water.

A.J. suppressed a grin as the nurse picked up her chart and made her notations, "It's not his fault," she said, "I'm just so ready to go home."

Nurse Potts looked at her over the edge of the chart, her eyes crinkling in a smile, "No need to explain, dear. If I were a few years younger and I had a man like that around..." she winked, "Even the mask, it gives him quite the Phantom of the Opera air, doesn't it"

Kane returned with a full water jug. Nurse Potts took it and put it on A.J.'s bed tray. "I'll leave you two kids alone, now,"she said, sidling past Kane with a smirk.

Kane turned to watch her go, completely puzzled. "What an odd woman," he muttered.

* * *

A.J. was so excited to finally be able to go home that she was ready to wheel herself out of the hospital and down the road if that's what it took. By the time all the necessary paperwork was signed it was late afternoon. Kane pushed her wheelchair out the front door to where Luke waited at the wheel of a sleek new Mercedes Coupe. A.J's mouth dropped open at the sight of the car.

"Wow," she said. "Is that mine?"

Kane nodded, "Yes, do you like it?" he asked.

A.J. shrugged,"Well...I guess..." she said nonchalantly, before breaking into a grin,"Are you kidding me? I love it!" She gushed. "I promise I won't crash this one."

Kane looked at her seriously, "If you do, hopefully you will not get injured. This car has the highest crash safety rating in its class. 11 airbags!"

A.J. mock rolled her eyes but gave him a tight hug and tiny kisses on the nose as he lifted her from the wheelchair and into the passenger seat of the car.

His serious facade cracked as he smiled slightly before closing the car door and climbing into his truck.

A.J. smiled at Luke, "Hey, Luke! Kane didn't tell me you were going to be my chauffeur today!"

He grinned, "Yeah, I don't mind. And anytime you need me to drive you somewhere until your leg heals, just let me know!"

"Aww, thank you! You're so sweet!" A.J. said sincerely.

Luke blushed, "No problem. Besides, when else am I gonna get to drive a car like this?"

A.J. enjoyed the ride home, opening the window and closing her eyes as the fresh air swirl over he face and through her hair. Luke glanced at her appreciatively side eyed, before reminding himself, hot or not, she was his father's wife and his step mother.

They pulled up to the house. Kane jumped out of his truck and came around to lifted her out of the car and carry her up the front walk. They were about halfway up the walk when the front door opened. Kane came to an abrupt halt and A.J. felt him tense up in surprise.

Lita stood at the front door with a wide smile.

"A.J! Welcome home!" she called out.

A.J. blinked in surprise. She looked at Kane who was staring at Lita stone faced. He obviously had not expected to see her in his house.

"Uh, Hi Lita," A.J. said.

Lita held the door open as Kane carried A.J. over the threshold like a bride. She ignored his glare as she closed the door and led the way into the house.

A.J. looked around. It had been a while since she'd been home but this was definitely not the way she'd left it. Everything was so immaculately clean. A.J. kept a neat house but now there was a fresh scrubbed quality to everything. Everything was spanking clean, even the windows sparkled. The smashed table was gone, replaced by a solid mahogany coffee table. There was a huge banner stretching across the living room that read, "Welcome Home A.J!"

"Wow," A.J. said,"I hardly recognize the place."

Lita smiled,"Luke and I cleaned a little bit and spruced up the place. We didn't want you to come home to a messy house."

"Oh, you guys didn't have to do that,"A.J. said. She was a little uncomfortable at the thought of Lita at large in her house but one glance at Luke's pleased grin made her relent. The boy was so obviously happy to see his mother and step mother being civil to each other.

"Wait 'til you see the surprise we got you!" the boy said excitedly.

Surprise? A.J. raised her eyebrows at Kane who merely shrugged. He'd been so concerned about A.J. over the last several weeks that a bomb could have leveled the house and he would not have noticed.

"It's out on the back deck! C'mon!" Luke led the way as Kane reluctantly followed. Luke threw open the french doors.

"SURPRISE!"

A.J. gasped as Kane's grip tightened convulsively, painfully. He immediately relaxed his hold, but she could feel his tension and the rapid beating of his heart.

The backyard was full of people.

There were ten times more people standing in their back yard at that moment than had visited total in the three years A.J. had lived here. At first, she didn't recognize them, but slowly, faces came back to her.

There was Heath Slater, looking more, if possible, like a red headed step child than ever. And behind him, Jack Swagger and Josh Matthews seated at wooden picnic tables. She saw The Miz, Kofi Kingston and Eve standing by a large grill. The Miz was holding a beer in one hand and a long handled spatula in the other. She saw Rey Mysterio and Santino lugging a large cooler from around the house and Zack Ryder trying to flirt with Kaitlyn. There were many, many other faces she did not recognize right away but all in all there were close to 40 people milling around, all staring at her and Kane.

And standing at the forefront, with a wide smile plastered across her face, was Lita.

"Surprise, AJ!" she said again, "When word of your accident got out all of your old friends and co workers were so concerned for you! We thought this would be a nice welcome home. Here, Kane, put her down."

Luke showed up pushing a plush and expensive looking electric wheelchair. A.J. felt Kane's fingers tighten on her again.

"Kane? Do you want to put her down?" Luke asked.

Kane looked at her. She bit her lip and gave him a tiny nod. Reluctantly, he lowered her into the chair. Luke fussed with it until her leg was propped comfortably. He started showing her how to use the controls. Lita stepped forward, a bright, sunny smile on her face, "C'mon Kane, attend to your guests."

She grabbed him by the wrist and pulled him toward the grill. He threw an anxious look at A.J. who shrugged as Lita dragged him over to the group of wrestlers arguing over how to light the grill.

"No, no you idiot!" Jack Swagger was saying to The Miz, "You gotta open the valve first!" Swagger saw Kane and grinned, "Hey Big Guy! Long time no see!"

Miz turned and waved with the spatula, "Hey, Kane, give us a hand lighting this thing. Do that... uh, you know, thing that you do!" He made an expansive gesture with his arms, imitating the way Kane used to send fire exploding from the ringposts upon his entrance.

Kane glared at the Miz until the smaller man's grin faded and he began to look nervous. Kane stepped forward, the men moved back to give him room. Slowly, Kane reached forward and pressed the electric ignition button on the grill. The flames popped into existence with a loud _whoosh. _There was a stunned silence, then Kofi laughed and clapped Miz on the shoulder.

Lita rolled her eyes. "Will you stop acting like an ogre?" she hissed under her breath.

Kane folded his arms, curling his lip. "I did NOT give you permission to bring these people here!"

"This isn't for you, you jerk!" Lita said acidly," This is a party for your wife. Look, she's enjoying it so don't ruin it for her!" She thrust a folded bundle of cloth into his hands and stalked away. Kane looked over to where A.J. was sitting surrounded by Divas. She was chatting and smiling and by the delighted exclamations of the women surrounding her she must be talking about the baby they were expecting. Kane looked down at the bundle of cloth Lita had given him. He unfurled it. It was an chef's hat and apron printed with the words"Kiss the Cook". For what seemed like the hundredth time today he felt an overwhelming urge to strangle a certain red haired bitch.

"Oh my god, I can't believe you're having a baby! Kaitlyn gushed, "I am so happy for you!" The perky blond's eyes suddenly lit up, "Hey, this means we have to throw you, like, the biggest baby shower ever!"

A.J. smiled at her friend's enthusiasm. Kaitlyn had once been her best friend in the WWE. It was really nice to see her again. In fact, it was good to see everyone again. But even as she chatted with the Divas she tried to catch sight of Kane. He did not like people and to have what he considered his sanctuary invaded was a dangerous thing for everyone present. To her shock, however, when she finally saw him, he was standing with a group of wrestlers by the grill, wearing what looked like a...chef's hat?...as well as an apron. He was holding a spatula in one hand, grimly flipping burgers. Miz pulled a beer out of cooler on the ground and offered it to Kane who merely glared at him and did not take it. Miz shrugged and took a swig from the bottle himself.

"Uhm , excuse me a sec girls. I think I should help my husband with the...uh...food." A.J. said. She managed to maneuver the wheelchair over to the grill. Kane was shoveling cooked burgers onto a plate. When he saw her coming he thrust the plate unceremoniously into Miz's chest.

"Kane?" A.J. said hesitantly, eyeing the apron and chef's hat. Kane snatched the hat off of his head and crumpled it into a ball in his fist.

"It was Lita's idea," he said immediately.

A.J. nodded, trying to look serious but the corners of her lips twitched.

Kane glowered."Are you laughing at me?" he grumbled defensively.

"Never," A.J. said smiling up at her grumpy husband. "But I would love to kiss the cook."

She held her arms up to him and all of his irritation fell away in an instant. Of course she wasn't laughing at him. He easily scooped her up out of the wheelchair as she wrapped her arms around his neck and gave him a kiss that made everything else insignificant. Lita, his brother, even this mob of unwelcome people in his house would soon be gone. It would be him and her and soon their baby and everything was right again in his world.

The backyard was suddenly silent. He could feel dozens of eyes on them. Well, let them look and let them see. Even a monster like him could love.

A sudden gust of wind accompanied by a rhythmic chopping noise made him pull back. He and A.J. looked around, A.J.'s hair whipping wildly around her face. He spotted the source of the noise and his irritation came back in an instant. A black helicopter was landing in the field next to the house and even from where he stood he could see the WWE logo emblazoned on its side.


End file.
